LAST NOVEMBER POST

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There aren't that many rigs on the market (past or present) that you would/could consider for a mobile rig - at least not in today's modern Vehicles. If you you go back further than the rigs I've mentioned the only one I'd consider small enough to be mobile would be the Yaesu FT-757, which is still kicking butt on the airwaves after all of these years!

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First on the list (in no particular order) is Kenwood's TS-50S, which covers the entire HF spectrum, along with 11meters if so modified. These rigs are tough, have user friendly features on the faceplate or programmed into the microphone without having to dive into a plethora of menus. The fact that these rigs sell almost as soon as they are listed for sale is an indication of how well they were built. The TS-50 came with a SSB filter with a socket for an optional CW filter. It mates to the AT-50 tuner which is much harder, and expensive to find. DOWNSIDES:

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  AGE. Parts are hard to find, sometimes impossible.
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KENWOOD TS-50 HF RIG

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ICOM IC-706

The ICOM IC-706 (in it's various revisions) is still a popular mobile HF/VHF/UHF (Depending on the version) rig. It's more menu intensive than the TS-50, yet it is still VERY popular with the mobile crowd. DOWNSIDES:

• The noise-blanker, while not as bad as some, is not the greatest in the world.



• If it has to go into the shop you've lost everything - HF, VHF, UHF



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  A common problem with small "I-do-almost-everything-rigs-squashed-into-a-small-unit" are high SWR issues, grounding problems, and loss of sensitivity/output on one of the major units (HF or VHF/UHF).
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  The Alinco DX-70 is the closest thing to a TS-50 that is still being sold. It has the advantage of having HF + 6 meters, whereas the TS-50 does not. I've probably owned 4 of these throughout the years. It has great tx audio, an easily readable display (night or day), and the controls you need are on the faceplate - not buried in some menu. DOWNSIDES:



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  NB. This rig has the worst noise blanker I have ever run across - in fact, when you activate it to eliminate noise it actually makes it worse. If you check around, there is a modification/component change that makes it a little better, but it's still not up to par with other brand rigs.



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  PRICE. This is a very expensive rig considering it only has HF and 6 meters. While it is still in production, you'd be better off buying a used TS-50.
  

  The Yaesu FT-100/D is an HF/VHF/UHF small footprint rig that has been around for awhile. It has a deep seated menu system which makes those "Cheat Sheets" you see for sale something to consider. The buttons (like most small all-in-one rigs) are tiny and it's very easy to press the wrong one. If you can find one, the FT-100 has a matching antenna tuner (AT-100) that works really nice, and it's power source comes from the transceiver! Like the TS-50, the microphone has programmable buttons which makes things easier, especially when used mobile. The FT-100 is no longer in production (for many years now), but demand is high and prices for used ones average about $500. The noise-blanker works as it should and that makes me happy! DOWNSIDES:
• FALSE SWR. The rig has issues with false "High SWR" readings and there were workarounds that sometimes worked, and sometimes didn't. I ran mine in a minivan for a couple years without any problems, but when I got a new vehicle the high SWR problem was there immediately, always on HF, never on the higher frequencies. I never could get the problem solved to my satisfaction, and being in the FT-100 Yahoo Group, I could see by the postings that I wasn't alone. This was only while used as a mobile, so I eventually took it out of the car and it became my home station.
  


• HEAT. Another well know problem was with the fans. While on the HF bands the fans would run at a slow speed and kept the rig cool to the touch. However, when using the VHF/UHF frequencies, the fans only came on during transmit. If you had the rig "ON", monitoring your favorite repeater, the transceiver would get so hot it was uncomfortable touch the case (not good for the components). This too was fixed via a workaround so that the fans would run while receiving on VHF/UHF frequencies. Unfortunately the noise from the fans can be disconcerting if you're trying to do something else in the room.
  
  And then there is the Yaesu FT-857 mobile. It has a removable head (like the 100/D) but, at least for my eyesight, a very small display. Once again, if you lurk around various newsgroups/clubs devoted to this rig you find similar issues - Problems with rf getting into rig, false SWR problems, etc. Not everyone who owns one has a problem, but those that do can't get rid of it (ed. - sell the car? or sell the rig? 'Nuff Said).

So what rig is best for you? I can't tell ya.... I can say that I've seen those weird false SWR and rf-in-the-box problems go away (or appear) just by changing vehicles. I know that today's vehicles are space limited and funnels you into an all-in-one situation. I tend to pick my vehicles by what rigs I want installed in them (whenever possible), and prefer to have separate HF and VHF/UHF rigs, along with a 3rd transceiver (yep, a dedicated 11m am/ssb mobile).

I've been working on this post off and on for about 5 days now (trying to get one last post in for November 2009), so I think I'll end this one now and finish working on my first post of December 2009. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and if possible, some DX too!!

73, Woody
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FRIDAY THE 13th....

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It's been awhile since my last post and I've had a variety of subjects to write about, but I thought I'd wait until today (Friday 13th) to do it!

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GREED


Greed is everywhere and ham radio is not immune. I'm not talking about the few times that I've been lied to face-to-face by someone at a swapmeet about the condition of whatever I was looking into (although that would make a good subject as well), just something that happened locally (and, not to me). A local HAM bought a used FT-60 from someone that (I think) he knows, and I guess he didn't shop around or check prices - he just trusted the person who offered to sell it to him that it was a good deal.

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Long story short: He paid about $230 for this used HT, only to find out that it's selling NEW for $185-$190 via outlets like HRO. I don't know if he went back to talk to this fellow about it but this is not the kind of story you want to read about Amateur Radio. There is balance in the world though. Another local HAM had an older (but working) 2 meter rig that had been sitting on a shelf for years. He gave to a young HAM who was just getting into the hobby. That's the way it outta be - 'Nuff Said.

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DECEMBER

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The month of December is right around the corner, and it's hard to believe how fast the days are going by. Look for a major announcement on this Blog sometime next month.....

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ZOMBIES, AND.....CB
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Robin found this article on the web and I got a kick out of it as well! Click HERE to see the story!


MOVIES

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It's been awhile since we've done any movie reviews, so I'm going to just list what was seen since the last review (in no particular order) along with a few short comments!

• "A SEROUS MAN" , was a movie that I would have preferred to see on cable, when nothing else viewable was of interest to me. Robin thought it was okay.
• "MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS", this wasn't a knee-slapping comedy but funny nonetheless! Clooney was great and so were the references to the "FORCE". We both liked this one a lot.
• "COCO BEFORE CHANEL", was a movie Robin had been wanting to see for quite awhile. When it finally reached Houston it only showed at one theater which wasn't as close as some others. We finally gave in when they said it wasn't going to be playing there much longer and went there on a Sunday night. Both Robin and I found this to be a well done, interesting movie. The following day (Monday) it began showing at a theatre only a few miles from here, but better safe that sorry.
• "THE BOX", is a movie from the fellow who brought us "Donnie Darko". We gave it two tubes up!
• "SAW VI". After SAW V we said "No more", but there we were in the movie theatre watching it. We found it better than SAW V, IV, and III. Next year: "SAW VII - 3D".
• "LAW ABIDING CITIZEN" - I liked it a lot (I like revenge movies where things go "BOOM"). Robin thought it was pretty good, but we both suggest you leave your logic at the door.
• "9" - Very well done, and enjoyable
• "ZOMBIELAND" - Funny movie featured Woody Harrelson luring Zombies out by playing his banjo, and a great cameo performance by a well know comedian. It was a blast!!
• "Inglourious Basterds", This one was funny, with a great cast! 2 Tubes UP.

I may have missed a few, but for the most part that catches you up to where we are now.

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That's it for now! 73, Woody

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CAR MFG'S AND THE CB CRAZE

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Back in the 70's everyone was going CB "CRAZY" - Sears, J.C. Penney's, Kmart and other retailers had their own brand, and not surprisingly, so did automobile manufacturers. For the most part, they would pick a brand and just slap their logo on it, add a hefty profit, then offer it when someone was buying a car: One stop shopping...

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GM was very simple, and it was easy to see who really was the "Rig Behind the Mask", as the photo below shows. Just by glancing at it you can tell it's and E.F. Johnson 123 in GM name only. Johnson wasn't the only manufacturer they used though as I recall seeing a Pearce-Simpson base with a GM sticker on it as well. If anyone knows of another mfg. that GM used, let me know...

And then there were other companies like Toyota who had their own style but it didn't look like something we'd already seen under another brand. For instance the picture below doesn't ring a bell with me. How about you?

I FORGOT UPDATE

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I saw a few rigs being sold by the ex and it seems odd, but she's still trading off my original name/rep "CBGAZETTE", and has changed her seller_ID (again) from "collectmenots" to "Shiny_Lover" (guess she bought a Steely Dan), so technically the auctions should read "Formally CBGAZETTE, Formally COLLECTMENOTS (Oh, I forgot, that was a name I picked too), and now I am "FILL IN THE BLANK". We all know that a leopard can't change its spots, so who knows what it will be in another six months eh?

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73, Woody

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"HEADS UP....."

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Just a quick FYI - I noticed that the ex has some more radios up on ebay and there are a couple 625's. You might ask which one works because I had one that was D.O.A., and I had two good looking Imperials, one worked and one was fried on the inside, so you might want to ask if it works too. Apparently she rates them by cosmetics, so just make sure to ask questions so you don't end up with "A shiny paperweight".

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'Nuff Said, Woody

Also (I saw a couple other things), I had one he20T that was DOA and and ugly one that worked. I never got around to moving the working guts into the good looking one, so I suspect that one is the non-working rig, and as far as the microphones, well, I know she doesn't know how to test 'em so at least make sure they have the cartridges inside the head (I had a bunch of semi-to-nonfunctional desk microphones).

HALLOWEEN WAS FUN...

I intended to have this posted yesterday but we didn't quite finish watching our top 20 "Scary movie picks", but November 2nd is only one day later. Halloween night was a lot of fun and we already had pre-planned costumes ready-to-go!
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It's one of the few nights where you can go out in costume without anyone really freaking out, or pointing with funny looks on their face. We went out to a nice place to eat (in costume) and ran across a variety of people who also were in costume. It seemed very normal.
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I had to wash my white lab coat (seen in various videos over the years) for my part. At first glance one might think I was just dressed as a normal scientist (if there is such a beast). But when they looked closer at my badge, they realized I was more Science-Fiction, than Science!

I was a scientist from the movie "DISTRICT 9", which was one of my favorite movie picks this year. I guess I threw the waitress a curve ball though when I asked if "Prawns" were in season.

Robin looked marvelous in her beer maiden costume (which is Waaaaay better than any Iron Maiden costume some nut might think of).

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And that, was our Halloween - 73, Woody
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