Subject: GLOWBUGS digest 408

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 10:30:30 -0600 (CST)

GLOWBUGS Digest 408

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) BC-221/LM Calibrating
	by [email-masked]
  2) Humbled about ARC-5 Receivers...
	by Dave <[email-masked]>
  3) Re: Sulking Elephants -- CW Rhythmics
	by Neal McEwen <[email-masked]>
  4) Sulking Elephants
	by "Brian Carling" <[email-masked]>
  5) WA0BPU  DE  AF4K electronic QSL
	by "Brian Carling" <[email-masked]>
  6) Re: Sulking Elephants
	by Dave <[email-masked]>
  7) Re: Sulking Elephants
	by John Kolb <[email-masked]>
  8) 6V6 differences..
	by Dave <[email-masked]>
  9) Command Set Corpses
	by [email-masked] (Jeff Duntemann)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 16:38:24 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked] (), [email-masked]
Subject: BC-221/LM Calibrating
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

The calibrating of the BC-221 and LM style frequency meters was done
on some sort of mechanical typewriting affair and must have used some
sort of typwriter printer like the early Friden machines used with the
earliest computers.  It could have been a simple numbers only type of
thing for less complexity, hooked up to some sort of simple mechanical
analog ``computer'' similar to what was used on shipboard fire control
in WWII.  I don't know the exact details but did hear a tidbit at one
time that suggested something like the above.  If anyone knows more,
historically, please forward it to the crew.

Aside:  Calibrating the BC-221 and LM Frequency Meters.

The frequency meters can be very easily calibrated by using the
known calibration points on the LF range and the 100kc calibration
points on the HF range (even though the book does not use them, they
ARE there, weakly and can be checked on a good digital dial receiver).
For a reference check the online LM manual in the BA archives, below.

Back in the early days BEFORE personal computers, yours truely, being
a poor novice geek without a calibration book on his prized LM-10,
and having had a course in FORTRAN programming, whilst plying the late
nite ivory towers amid the card punches and test tubes, decided to
amend the above lack of said calibration book, by foolishly and
unknowingly run forthe a stack of the above said card punch fodder,
made from a green line Fortran Coding Form (only real geeks remember those),
and stroked with JANuine Fortran incantations, and hence typed thereupon
those pencil-pocket-holder-sized-Hollerith-style-cards-only-geeks-used,
did, with full and smiling look, pass said card punch fodder onwards and
upwards to the high master of computerese incantantions and holder of the
magic punch card reader keys, and did, with great smiles and joys, finally
receive a thin stack of that green and white lined fanfold toilet paper,
WITH a hamband calibration for is prized LM-10............ and after many
years of hidden knowledge, whilst, readying a box of useless trash paper
for the Dempsey Dumpster, accidently found that fading and crumpled
Fortran Coding Form...... (:+}}, and great joy ensued, again.....
And, to make a long story short, with the assistance of one of our own,
somewhat more versed in the higher refined incantations of Fortran IV,
did resurrect said ancient computer beastie of the mainframe days,
and compiled a working dos version which resides in the BA archives
at ftp.theporch.com in the pub/mailing-lists/boatanchors directory
under the bc221lm*.* files.

Thanks to Russ Schroeder/W2DDY for all his Fortran expertise in putting
the finishing touches into it.

The program dates from around 1975, but was rehashed in 1980, and finalized
in 1994-6 by me and Russ.  It is in the public domain, and if anyone can make
it better, please DO!  It is crude, but does work.

Try it, and if it is of use, go for it!

Keep yer BC-221's and LM's percolating, with new calibrations!

73/ZUT DE NA4G/Bob UP

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 17:21:53 -0800
From: Dave <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Humbled about ARC-5 Receivers...
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

I stand before the group humbled and filled with the respect so many of
you have for history.  I have been 'shown the light' about my newly
acquired stash of 3 ARC-5 receivers (BC-455, BC-454, and BC-946) and now
have EVERY INTENT to restore them to their original configuration.

Although I doubt my units ever saw more duty than demonstrating gravity in
a US Government warehouse, it is most certainly a fact they were truly the
work horse receivers of WWII air strategy, and ANY surviving units need more
respect than I had heretofore given them.  I now want to know more about them
and how / where / when they were used.

In my own defense, I do alot of homebrewing and merely thought of them 
as 'parts', which for more than 30 years they were for most hams.  Since
I traded them for an old Icom IC-22 with no crystals, I didn't associate
alot of value.

Well, now I do!  I had never considered their history and my ability to 
preserve them for the future, when even more will have been hacked up as
'parts'.  I honestly do have a deep interest in history of that era (my
Father was in Mainz during the liberation - I have his captured Mauser Luger as
my only memento of his life).

As one who wrote put it (paraphrased) "why just build a crappy broad
band 40 meter rig, that after fighting the QRM would just gather dust on 
the shelf and be tossed in the dumpster by my heirs?".  Kinda sums it up.

I'll email those who offered assistance on restoring them to original 
configuration and get going soon.

Thanks to ALL who responded about my off-charter question.  Groups like
this really can make a difference!  Three relics of history have been 
spared!

Now,  back to that SuperSimple X Mark II receiver I was building...<g>

73's

Dave WB7AWK
"Give me ambiquity or give me something else"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 07 Jan 1997 19:34:53 +0000
From: Neal McEwen <[email-masked]>
To: Siegfried Rambaum <[email-masked]>
Cc: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked],
Subject: Re: Sulking Elephants -- CW Rhythmics
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

Siegfried,
  Your collection of CW Rhythmics is very interesting.  However, as a
former code instructor and practicer of the find art of CW and American
Morse, I have deep reservations about you using the rhythmics as a
training tool.
  Your ear and brain need to learn the sound of each letter and make the
proper association.  Pausing to muse, " I heard dah dah dit dah, and
that sounds Pay Day Today, so it must be a Q" is recreational but is
introducing an added step in identification of the letter.  Furthermore
it is a crutch and impediment to learning the code by sound.
  You want your ear and brain to hear dah dah dit dah and have your hand
write a Q without a consicious thought process.  It needs to be totally
reflexive.
  I have taught many a student this way and have turned out some superb
CW operators, some that could run circles around me.
  Publish your findings and then give yourself the advantage of learning
the code in the best and most proficient manner.
-- 
73 de K5RW, Neal McEwen, at "The Telegraph Office", [email-masked] 
        A WWW Page for Telegraph Key Collectors and Historians  
           http://fohnix.metronet.com/~nmcewen/tel_off.html

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 18:11:20 +0000
From: "Brian Carling" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Sulking Elephants
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

I've NEVER heard of any of this melodics CW stuff before, but I 
always thought of a "C" as "CHOWPY-CHOWPIT"

ESPECIALLY if there was some chirp on the signal, he he!

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 18:50:58 +0000
From: "Brian Carling" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Subject: WA0BPU  DE  AF4K electronic QSL
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

Fine to work you on 3579 kHz this evening Steve!

Your 6L6 sounds good. A LITTLE bit of yoop, but not bad at all.
Signals were weak both ways I am sure.

WA0BPU  on January 8th at 0232 UTC on 3579 kHz
Your RST 549 CW.

My rig  6AG7 - 6L6 with 3 watts output to a G5RV dipole
that has just been raised up higher on one side and freed from some 
branches that had trapped it badly. It was a LOT of work with the 
slingshot and fishing line etc. this past weekend but seems to have 
helped. Hiding a 110 foot long antenna 30 feet up in the air ina 
residential neighborhood where antennas are not allowed is no small 
feat, let me tell you!

I finally managed to squeeze a bit more RF out of this rig this 
evening and you were the  first victim!

The way I did it was to add some extra capacitance across the loading 
capacitor. I added an extra 500 pF across it and bingo - went from only 
getting 1-2 watts to a massive THREE watts out, he he!

thanks again & 73!

Bry
********************************************************
*** 73 from Radio AF4K / G3XLQ in Gaithersburg, MD USA *
**  E-mail to:  [email-masked]                         *
*** See the great ham radio resources at:              *
**  http://www.mnsinc.com/bry/                         *
********************************************************

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 18:52:15 -0800
From: Dave <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: Sulking Elephants
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

At 08:38 PM 1/7/97 -0600, you wrote:
>I've NEVER heard of any of this melodics CW stuff before, but I 
>always thought of a "C" as "CHOWPY-CHOWPIT"
>
>ESPECIALLY if there was some chirp on the signal, he he!
>
>

And of course, V is that cool riff that starts Beethoven's big tune.

(Rumor has it Mr. Morse used that riff as the basis for the V.  Anyone
know?)
"Give me ambiquity or give me something else"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 19:33:28 -0800 (PST)
From: John Kolb <[email-masked]>
To: Dave <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Sulking Elephants
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

> At 08:38 PM 1/7/97 -0600, you wrote:
> >I've NEVER heard of any of this melodics CW stuff before, but I 
> >always thought of a "C" as "CHOWPY-CHOWPIT"
> >

Always thought of the question mark as

DID DE DUMB DUMB DID DE?

And yes as a mental crutch, it does slow me down a little when I
hear a ? mark.

John  KK6IL

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 22:14:57 -0800
From: Dave <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Subject: 6V6 differences..
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

What are the differences in the various configurations of the 
6V6?  Do the larger ones handle more plate voltage, or dissipate
more power?  Also, what is a 'blue tube' and what makes it 
different?

Just curious...

Dave WB7AWK
"Give me ambiquity or give me something else"

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 08:49:33 -0700
From: [email-masked] (Jeff Duntemann)
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Command Set Corpses
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

While it's true that anything approaching an intact Command set should be
retained and perhaps restored, there are an incalculable number of
stripped-down Command chassis (I have one that was cut in half lengthwise
for inexplicable reasons) minus inductors, caps, and so forth.  Anybody who
really wants to build a radio in a Command chassis should look for one of
these.  I see one or two every hamfest.  Two 807s or 1625's in parallel can
make a potent signal, and the box is certainly big enough.

--73--

--Jeff Duntemann KG7JF
  Scottsdale, Arizona

------------------------------

End of GLOWBUGS Digest 408
**************************