"IT'S ALL ABOUT ACCESSORIES"

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Accessories, accessories, oh how thy break me...

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Let's start with the lesser of 2 evils: CB. So you buy a CB and bring it home, having spent almost all of your hard earned money on the best rig you could find (ed. - well I suppose if THAT were true, you would have bought a pre-90's rig off ebay..'nuff said) and then your remember the accessories: coax, pushup pole, antenna. So you borrow some money and you're on the air! And then you find out you should have an swr/watt meter, and a after market microphone..... Yes, accessories can eat into your funds.

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The HAM operator has it tougher in every category. He orders an HF rig, without any extras because his XYL said so, but he knows that between Christmas, Birthdays, and Fathers day, he can nickel'n dime his way up to CW and SSB filters, and Autotuner, and more.

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I'll use the Yaesu FT-897D as an example

=

So, our happy Ham has owned his 897D over a period of a couple years now and acquired the matching auto-tuner, both the SSB and CW filters, internal batteries and the charger, and a nice impressive desk microphone (and if it's impressive it must be HEIL right??). But now our friend has the hots for a different rig, and wants to sell it.

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We all know what that's like.....ceaseless browsing on the Internet, dog-eared pages of QST and the AES Catalog -What should he do?? The rig he wants cost much more than the 897D sells for, and he's short on funds...but, he has all of these accessories so he figures that he can sell his 897D rig for at least $1000 because he spent over $1300 when you add all the extras in....what a bargain for the next owner!!

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Unfortunately he is about to learn a hard lesson of hamdom: It usually doesn't matter what accessories are lumped into the sale because the buyer is most likely looking for a used 897D at a good price, he is short of funds, and plans to add accessories piece-by-piece in an unassuming way so as not to alert the XYL (ed. - just like you did).

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The moral of the story: Either take a beating on the package deal, or sell everything separately.

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FROM THE FUNNY EBAY AUCTION TITLE DEPT.

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"Yaesu VX-5R Tri-Band Handheld Transceiver *PARITY NEW*"

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[Ed.- 'Nuff Said]

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FROM THE "GOSH THANKS" DEPT.

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Many thanks to Peter Kendall for donating a pair of E.F. Johnson Walkie-Talkies to my W.T. Collection!! I've always been a fan of handheld transceivers so this was an especially welcome addition to my WT array! One of the days, I'll have to round them all up (yes, they're just like stray cattle that have wandered here'n there) for a photo shoot - Tnx Peter!

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FROM THE "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING" DEPT.

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EBAY AUCTION: Midland 13-885 Buy-It-Now: $795

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REVIEW UPDATE

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As promised, I'm following up on the "Finger Dimple" I ordered earlier this year for my Kenwood TS-850 tuning knob. For those who missed it, the Finger Dimple is a stick-on device that allows you to spin-the-dial on the VFO with one finger, when that dial does not have factory "dimple". Now to the update: I'm always a bit leery of stick-on devices living in the moist, humid Southern Texas area because you have to keep re-sticking whatever you're sticking, back on. I'm happy to report that the "Finger Dimple" is still "Stuck" like it was a factory install, and believe me when I say I've given it an ample workout. My Red Sox cap is tipped to the inventor for making a quality product that does what it says it will do, at a decent price!

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Hey, what do you know - I've wasted some more browsing time (look out, the boss is behind you) and with no pictures! See ya on the next posting -

Woody

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A LOOK AT AN ANGLED STAND

FOR THE FT-817

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When I use my FT-817 in the shack, I've had to be creative in forming piles of stuff to put it on so that I could see the display without slipping a disc in my back. While perusing Ebay, I came across a stand for about $60 + shipping, but I didn't really want to spend that much on it because I use the rig mostly portable....so I passed on it.

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Not too long after that I ran across a stand that was just a stand, no wires or connectors (which was fine for me), and it was only $16 + shipping! So I bought it and yes, it suits my purpose, as the video below shows.

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WOODY

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"THE ULTIMATE MOBILE SETUP"

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Here's Part One of a video I ran across on YouTube.

You'll find that this vehicle has all the gadgets

you'd ever need.

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Woody

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BOOK REVIEW

"EMPIRE OF THE AIR"

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"Buy the book and rent the video..."

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I picked up a used copy of this book off Amazon's website (just in case you didn't know it, they're linked to hundreds of "used" booksellers around the country), and it's a book which is a companion piece to a Robert Burns PBS special, about the who-how-what were invented, the first dynasties created, etc. I can't say I watched the 1991 event as I was between marriages and interested in...others things. But I digress...

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The book itself is hard covered, and runs about 400 pages. The author, really did his homework as well being involved with the documentary. Before reading the book, I was "Hollywoodized" as far as inventor stories go (if you're smart and honest you'll win at the end), so unlike the movies ("The story of...." ; "The Marconi Story", etc) all of the dirt, greed, backstabbing, and sad endings were left intact - unchanged...to some extent, it was like being a fly on the wall and watching the lives of some of Americas history makers, and of interest to me, because where would Ham radio have been without the tube?

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The rest of my short review is in this video, which aired on PBS. Ken Burns is well known for extensive, lengthy-yet-interesting documentaries. Unfortunately this is not one of them. The story centers around 3 men who shaped the world of radio and communications for better or worse "De Forest, Sarnoff, and Armstrong". Marconi is mentioned a little in the video (quite a bit more in the book) as well.

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At 2 hours, the video plays well, and seems to cover the bases, however when mentioning litigation's, deception, etc. the viewer isn't quite sure of the extent or the circumstances which created it. Where they came from, and how they got to where they were is also critically short. That said, if you aren't a reader, then this is your look into the beginnings of Radio! If you are a reader, I would recommend that you read the book first, THEN watch the video.

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Woody

"BACK FROM BELTON..."

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"...you can see the difference, as the cool temp's

and crisp air puts a spring in the step,

and an erect wallet in the pockets of each potential buyer!"

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Yes indeed my friends, the first Belton Texas hamfest of 2007 has come and gone, and unlike the past few years, I'm happy to say I attended!
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Unlike the last one I made it to (some 3 years ago or so), which seemed to be on a slight decline, this one - despite the weather seemed to be a good success. My oldest son Josh came along with me and we left later than we usually would, pulling out of Sealy around 4:15 a.m. with only one headlight working and many miles to go.
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Also unlike other late departures, this one was not due to oversleeping, as neither of us slept! I was doing some stuff via the internet, and then got caught up watching a movie that started at 2 and ended at 4. Thus the late departure. I was traveling light for this trip for a variety of reasons:

1. I had the pleasure (not) of my lower back and upper back "going out" at the same time about 2 weeks ago, so I wasn't eager to load move a bunch of stuff around the shack, much less carry it to the car for loading.
   
2. Having been out-of-touch with recent Belton events, I wasn't sure what to bring, and, if I did load the car down with goodies, would that effort be wasted?
   
3. And last but not least, I wanted to spend less time selling and more time visiting some old friends, and of course, recording the event.

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One thing that didn't change, was the traditional cold front blowing in. I'm not sure of the how's or why's, but usually, a cold front comes in just before, or during the hamfest, dropping the temperature and humidity to the point where everyone is energized to stop by Belton. Once there, you can see the difference, as the cool temp's and crisp air puts a spring in the step, and an erect wallet in the pocket of each potential buyer!

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We arrived at the "Dome" after 6 a.m., and the air had been steadily getting colder the closer we came to Belton. A quick look at Josh told me he was thinking the same thing:

"We'd be stuck outside, freezing our butts off"

As we crossed the parking lot though, it became apparent that there was NO LINE of vehicles waiting to go inside. I drove slowly by one of the large doors to see half the area still vacant, so we pulled right in and got a spot. Happy to be inside, I was a bit worried about the lack of people coming to sell items, but within the next hour or so, those worries were gone, and the building was full.

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We setup what few items were brought, then I took off, camcorder in-hand (In one hand. The other hand was gripping mad money). It was good to see some of the long standing vendors, as well as seeing my good friend Val from Oklahoma. Val makes the Belton trip twice a year, and it's the only time we get together to compare notes, and talk about rigs, and of course...the old times. It was his email in fact that got me to this Belton event by writing "If I can drive six hours from Oklahoma to Belton, surely you can spare two" (or something close to that). He was on a buying mission this time so each stop by my space was short, then he'd dart off in another direction. If I recall correctly, this was the 17th hamfest he'd been to since the first of the year.

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Surprisingly, Friz wasn't there, and I did attempt to look for him, outside in the tailgate section, but I didn't last long - the wind was strong and the temperature dropping. And of course "Repeater Steve" was there!

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There were at least 4 Amateur Radio Stores with tables and booths, including George's shop in Spring, along with several other multi-faceted dealers. I saw quite a few CB's, the only collectible being a Browning Mark IVa, and the rest were solid-state, somewhat beat up, but still usable. Used Ham radios were quite abundant, just not the model I was looking for, and if I were to guess at ratio of HF vs HT's/Dualband I'd have to give the nod to used HF rigs with a whopping 75% or more presence. HT's were almost non-existent (used). I found a sweet deal on a HEIL PR-40, but chickened out at the last moment (yes, I'm regretting it already).

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I'm now fairly renewed from the trip and plan to start work on the video tonight. Yes...you read correctly: A NEW B-E-L-T-O-N VIDEO!!

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Woody

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"HAPPY EASTER"

PICTURE GRAPHICS - ROBINWOOD STUDIOS

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Happy Easter on this chilly (at least for my part of Texas) day! I believe our temperature is in the 37-38 degree range, and we've had wave after wave of rain (some steady, other just steady drizzle), but it hasn't helped the yard/swamp situation. Before Saturday I still had puddles on top of puddles from the previous week's rains, now they're expanding to what looks like a scaled size of the "Great Lakes". Speaking of Saturday - What a change! Friday was one of those rare, GREAT days with low humidity, a nice breeze from the North, and a nice Blue sky. I woke up Saturday to clouds, rain, and the mid-40's. It may seem like I'm making a big deal out of this, but the usual Easter around here involves A/C, shorts, and lots of heat and humidity.

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WOODY

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"TWISTED FINGERS"

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Yep, that's what you get if you spend a lot of time turning that VFO dial on the Yaesu FT-817. I'll be sprinkling some hints now and then regarding this wonderful all band, all mode QRP rig, but this one required immediate attention!
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Fortunately, it only cost $20 + shipping to fix the problem, and the video explains the rest...
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"THE OTHER SHOE HAS DROPPED"

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I had my suspicions about sinister motives when the FCC dropped the CW requirement, but I never, N-E-V-E-R would have imagined what is to come for the Citizens Band.
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From a post on the FCC website (recent news) I read that the FCC was going to add the CW requirement to CB licensees! My first thought was: "Who in the bloody Hell thinks up these proposals??"
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But then, logic set in....."Uncle Charlie" has been trying to kill 11meters almost since it's inception (and they created it), so what better way to do this than require that all CB users pass a CW test. Apparently they realize that they can't stop the tide of "10m radios" with am-fm-ssb and CW, so they thought "Why not put that to use?" and indeed they will. This will accomplish two goals:

1. Get rid of 11 meters
2. Increase Amateur Radio licenses (as they no longer have the CW requirement). Yes - the buck was passed to us.

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They are apparently mulling over standard license fee's again (back to the $20/license), and several other vague, foggy notions that they aren't willing to put to press as of yet. I'll be following this closely (you can too) to see exactly what will happen when the dust settles....well, anyways, may you all enjoy this first day of the fourth month of the year!!

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WOODY

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THE BEST DUAL-BAND HT

FT-530

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Well, I had to rush this posting because in my youtube video, I said that I had a link to download the FT-530 manual so you could read about the various features first hand. So, now I'm playing catchup, and I'll be adding more to this as I have time!

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HERE is the link to the manual(more info coming to this post)

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PART ONE ON MY VIDEO ABOUT:

THE YAESU FT-530

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TOM "TOMCAT" KNEITEL

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Tom Kneitel - almost everyone has heard of him. He was my hero in the 60's-70's because of his column in S9 Magazine, where he let loose on a variety of subjects, and didn't pull any punches.

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From S9, I backtracked him to a brief stint with CB Horizons Magazine, and before that, Popular Electronics and Electronics Illustrated in the 50's. When 11m CB became official in 1958, he began writing about it (as did Don Stoner) and you could tell he was enthusiastic about the new band.

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But what else do we know about "Tomcat"?

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Well, for starters, Tom was born on January 28, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, and he married his wife, Judy, in 1961. As we all know, communications was his passion - from Popular Electronics, CB Horizons, S9 Magazine, S9 CB Radio Magazine (when CB Magazine folded their subscribers were drafted into the ranks of S9 readers), and then when CB began to die off, the magazine re-invented itself into Popular Communications, which covered a variety of topics related to radio communication. Unfortunately, only a few pages were devoted to CB.

An early "Tomcat" Article
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WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW

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Tom Kneitel is the grandson of Max Fleischer (animated cartoon producer), the son of Seymour Kneitel who was an animator and Director (he drew some of the Popeye images and directed the Baby Huey Show, and Casper the Friendly Ghost and others as well), and the nephew of Director Richard Fleischer (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Fantastic Voyage) so, while Tom chose communications, it's now easy to see how he came about his cartoon drawing talent in S9 Magazine. His mother, Ruth, wrote several uncredited scripts for some cartoons as well. Tom also wrote several films for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Judy and Tom had a total of seven children. In the early 70's he and his wife Judy were briefly in charge of a WICCA "Coven" under the names "Theos" (Judy) and "Phoenix" (Tom). There's not a lot of information about the Coven and I don't really know much more than that, regardless, that information does not diminish my respect and admiration for all that Tom has done for 2-way radio communications.

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Besides magazine articles, Tom is an accomplished author, having written many books. Here's a listing of just some of them...

1. Air Scan Guide to Aeronautical Communications



2. Tomcat's Big CB Handbook: Everything They Never Told You



3. 103 simple transistor projects



4. National directory of survival radio frequencies



5. CBers' SSB handbook (my favorite)



6. Radio Station Treasury 1900-1946



7. Air-scan directory of aero band scanner frequencies



8. 101 Easy Audio Projects (Hardcover)



9. Rail-scan directory of railroad scanner frequencies



10. The "top secret" registry of U.S. Government radio frequencies: 25 to 470 MHZ



11. UNDERSTANDING AND USING CITIZENS BAND RADIO



12. Directory of U. S. Army Forts, Camps, and Airfields 1789 to 1945



13. Electronic circuits handbook

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Just to name a few of them.

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The CBer's SSB Handbook, from the mid-70's is one of my all time favorite books to read. I came across this book by accident, in the early 80's when I was killing some time at a local parts store. In the back they had some books marked "Clearance" and of course the title of the book and it's author caught my eye immediately - I had to own it! I liked it so much that I've bought several copies of it so when my 4Sale page is activated, I'll have them listed in the book section. I just recently picked up another used copy, signed by Tomcat himself! Where is he now? Tom has retired and currently lives in Florida (strange, how both he and Don Stoner retired to the same State).

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Well, this is where the information ends. I hope I've given you a good look at Tom, as well as at least a couple things you didn't know until reading this article.

'Nuff Said

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WOODY

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"I MISSED ONE..."

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Well, probably more than one, but when I wrapped up my last post about CRAZY CB prices, a little alarm went off, like the one you get when you're getting ready to bolt from the house for work in the morning, mentally going through the checklist of things to have with you, and while everything seems o.k. that little alarm goes off (which I tend to ignore) and it's only when you're walking to the car do you realize that the car/house/work keys are still on the washer (inside) where you left them the night before. But, I digress...

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So...back to the little alarm. I published the Blog posting and kinda swish away the alarm, much like a mental "snooze", but this morning, after leaving the house (with keys) and sitting in the car, somehow I feel a connection. Car....Carr....Kar....KAAR!!

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EXAMPLE NUMBER 5

VINTAGE KAAR TR-327

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Here we have a slightly different example of a "Crazy" price. With only a few minutes left to go, this Kaar will probably go unsold. It's not in bad condition, but it's not in "NOS" condition either, and the seller put a starting price of $765.00 on the auction. I forgot to mention this was untested as the ac cord was not 100%.

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This is one of those occasions where the seller has placed a very high value on something that isn't worth it (except to the seller perhaps). Unless...[ed. - take a deep breath of fresh BS]...

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The Kaar was used by an International diamond smuggling ring! Should the box have been opened it would appear to be a normal Kaar TR-327. However, if they had diamond sniffing ferrets back then (remember, it was the "Olden" days), they would have discovered that by peeling the cap off the capacitors, a treasure trove of diamonds would be found!! Sounds far-fetched, but then, so does a starting bid of $765.....

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I like my version better.

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Woody

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CRAZY PRICES ON VINTAGE CB's
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It comes in waves....waves of money that is, and each time I say to myself "I can't believe these prices", I end repeating that same mystified quote over and over again!
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Sometimes you can see why the rig sold for a very high price, like this Poly-comm Pro, which has to be one of the nicest I've seen. Most Poly's show their age, and if you find one that looks good cosmetically, sometimes the "Guts" appear as if they were left out in the rain...for a couple decades.

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But this one has it all, inside and out, and the final auction price was $330 + shipping, which compared to my next example is a good deal! I know, you're wondering, "THAT'S a good deal??" But I guess you'll have to trust the 'ol Woodster on that.

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EXAMPLE NUMBER 2

MIDLAND 78-999

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Now we're jumping ahead a decade or so to a 40ch solid-state am/ssb Base Station. I've heard wonderful things about this rig from current and past owners, although I've never actually owned or operated one myself, but this is where the good deal / bad deal comes into play. While the Midland is relatively hard to find, it is a fairly modern rig (compared to the Poly-Comm), so you would expect to find more of these in nice condition as opposed to a tube rig. Yet the 78-999 sold for $360 + shipping! If you're looking for something new to use today, then you'd probably buy this, but for a collector, the Poly-Comm Pro (in the above condition) is a far better investment.

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EXAMPLE NUMBER 3

EFJ Gold Award Messenger III

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As most of you know, whenever a CB had gold plating, or even a microphone like the D-104 "Golden Eagle", they looked good for several years, but a quarter of a century or more later, it's hard to find one that looks like it just came off the assembly line. Here is such a rig. Recently on Ebay, this E.F.Johnson "Gold Award" Messenger III sold for a whopping $560!! Not bad for an AM-only mobile rig.

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EXAMPLE NUMBER 4

Lafayette Telsat SSB-140

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This rig is a favorite in several different respects: There is a hardcore Lafayette collector bunch out there (I'd include myself in that group), so anything marked Lafayette, and ecspecially "boxed" is desirable, and it also has a good reputation for being a solid rig - something a person would want as a daily user radio. Once again, the pricing is not what you would expect. For instance, if I had to rate them, I'd pick the Poly-Comm Pro as the highest price, next in line the Gold Messenger III, followed by the Lafayette SSB-140 in the box, next, and last but not least, the Midland 78-999. But, go figure...

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THE BLUNDER THAT MADE YA WONDER

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I think every company has made a blunder of some sorts. I suppose you could rate them on a scale of 1-to-10 (1=hardly noticable vs. 10=like a thumb in the eye). When someone asks me what the biggest marketing blunder was, usually Coca-Cola's decision to ditch the old Coke for the "New Coke" comes to mind, but not far behind that was Cobra's "Plus" Series of radios. Not only were they ugly, but reportedly a bear to repair as well!

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Cobra, as a rule, started to put profit over quality, usually picking the lowest bid from a manufacturer. That manufacturer was then blessed with slapping a Cobra name on the radio. I don't think you see many of these forsale (compared to their usual line)because there aren't many that still work. Nonetheless, the mistake was made, and corrected shortly thereafter.

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Once again, I've managed to waste your precious time on items of the past, and of course, I'll do it again! 'Nuff Said -

Woody

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THE EARLY DAYS OF PODCASTING

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Very little is known about the early days of podcasting - it was such an underground movement where documentation and photos were burned for fear that the Broadcasting Network Goon Squad would pay them a visit.

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But thanks to IcomDave (a.k.a - CWDave) a photo has turned up from the early, early, very early days...

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-"IcomDave and The StonerGuy relaxing before their weekly Podcast"

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"IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH"

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And do you know what that means?? Nope! Nothing to do with bills, paychecks, or goat sacrificing....it's that time of the month when the modern "Radio Operator" begins to feel anxious, sometimes including panic attacks - it's the time of the month when QST Magazine will arrive in your mailbox!
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My QST time-clock is adjusted fairly accurately, and quite sub-conscious. It starts around the 12th of the month with an anxious "I-drank-too-much-coffee" feeling and progresses from there. By the 13th, I'm aware of the impending arrival, and begin to wonder: "Hmmm...I wonder if it will come EARLY this month?", so the phone calls to the XYL begin -

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"Have you checked the mail yet?"
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"YES, I KNOW it's only 7a.m. but the mail carrier could be early"
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[CLICK]
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"Have you check---d....oh, you have? was there anything in the mailbox?"
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"NOTHING?? I'll call back in 10 minutes"
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Or, if I'm the one with the first look in the mailbox, I'll walk briskly towards it, slowing as I approach. "Do I really want to check it?" and if I do, "Am I prepared for rejection?".
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OK. I'm there. The hand is ready. The mailbox is pulled opened enough to slip my hand in without seeing the boxes contents...and "EUREKA" it feels a semi-thick magazine!! Grabbing the contents the hand jerks out in one swift motion, useless bills flutter to the ground [I'm in this for the magazine].
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In sync with the arm and hand, the eyes slowly drop down to view my prize...."WHAT???"....."It's not QST, it's a damn R-O-S-E CATALOG....Crap"....My head grows heavy, as well as my feet (it seems like such a long way back to the house now), and I know I'll have to repeat this process again.
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Today, the 17th, was my last chance until Monday, and there it was - my new QST issue! I know, some of you don't like QST, but it's the only REAL radio magazine around (that is full of articles and nice, precious, glossy advertisements that smell so.....fresh. My precious.) So, I'm a happy camper, and I've almost got it to where I parcel out my reading until the following month, but it's tough.
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It was alot worse before I joined the ARRL. First, I'd have to find a magazine store that even carried it, and then, towards the middle of the month, it was "Stakeout" time. Even before I became a HAM, I read QST - especially after S9/CB Radio Magazine went under. But enough about that. This wasn't a plug for QST (although it may seem to be), but more of a plea for something else to look forward to (nope, no CQ - I'm NOT into contesting).
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FROM THE "I KEPT MY WORD DEPT."

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Oh, I'm keeping to my word in not writing about the subject below, however, I didn't mention video...
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Woody

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PICKING UP WHERE I LEFT OFF...
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After reviewing the book on Microphones, both on this blog, and in a video report, I thought I'd share some of my meager knowledge in how they work. There are some crazy looking microphones out in the market; different shapes, sizes, etc. but they all follow the same principle of acting like a transducer [a "Transducer" converts one type of energy into another]. In the case of a microphone, it converts sound waves into varying electric signals. I say "varying" because sound is not one constant push of energy, so when it comes out on the other side, the voltage must vary as well or we would not understand a thing.
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The big question is "How does it do it?" Obviously it has to do with electronics/electricity and varying two variables - in this case, resistance, which then varies the voltage, and all of the magic takes place inside the microphone element. I'm not going to go over all the different elements (heck, buy that book I reviewed) because the theory is the same. Basically to vary the voltage you need a variable resistor. So how does that fit in?

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Well first, if you were to look into your microphone you would see a microphone "element" (a.k.a. - The Transducer). The element can be a Crystal, Carbon, Ribbon, etc. type element, but what's important to remember is that while they may be different - they basically work the same way. It's not nearly impressive as the outside of the microphone but it is the "heart". The element has a couple wires soldered to it, to complete the circuit.



If you look at my crudely drawn diagram to the left you'll see the inside of the microphone. When you speak into the mike the first thing the sound waves hit is the diaphragm - a very thin material than bends easily.
Behind the diaphragm is the ingredients that make it work. For example, let's say that this is a Carbon microphone. Carbon is a conductor, and it's made up of small carbon particles placed in a container of sorts. I believe they call the container a "button".
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As you can see, there are two wires - one on each end of the button to complete the electrical circuit. With no sound waves at all, the button is a constant resistance so there's no change in voltage. This is where the diaphragm comes in. As you talk, the sound waves hit the diaphragm and the diaphragm pushes in towards the button (remember, the diaphragm is VERY thin). As it presses against the carbon particles, pressure moves the them in a variety of ways (tighter, looser, etc.) and with each change, the resistance value changes, and with each change in resistance, we get a different voltage. If this sounds like a variable resistor, you're correct, and the circuit to the right is basically all it is! No black magic or slight of hand, just a circuit with a variable resistance that changes constantly due to the force of the sound waves. Below, you'll find my video review of the book in it's crudest stage. Once I polish it up, it will also be part of my Spring Video 2007.
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WOODY

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ME, MYSELF, AND I

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So what does this have to do with radio?? It has to do with something we're all guilty of from time-to-time, and that is the use of the word "WE" (catching on?). How many times have you heard someone (or yourself) in a conversation like "We're going to try to make the next hamfest" or "We're looking at some of the new rigs to purchase and I hope we can come up with the money".
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As a listener, it can get annoying during a lengthy transmission....

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"Well, we're planning on going to the hamfest this weekend because we want to upgrade our HF rig and get a few misc. items. We have to buy now, because we just got our Income tax return and it'll be gone before long"
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Sometimes there really is a "we", but more often than not, it's just an "I". You hear it on 11m, you hear it on repeaters, and you hear it on the HF Ham bands - and like I said, I'm just as guilty. I've reached the point where I'm aware of when I say the we-word (just after it's left my lips) so that I can correct myself during the rest of the QSO. I guess you can say that we're working on it....
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TO SHIP OR NOT TO SHIP

[That is the question]

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I know, I just wrote about this topic, but it's gotten so bad lately it's time to mention it again: "Highway Robbery Shipping Charges On Ebay".
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Good God!! Ebay should spend less time cancelling HR-2510 auctions and more time on what I perceive to be out and out FRAUD related to shipping charges. You, as a buyer (or prospective buyer) have to be proactive and when the shipping charge looks sky high, question the seller about it. Now if you're mostly a buyer, you might not be familiar with current prices, but as a buyer/seller, I'm uptodate on what prices should or should not be.
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Here are some tips for the "Buyer":

• If you're looking at a rig like a Yaesu FT-101, which is pretty heavy, and you see a $40 or higher shipping charge via Parcel Post, there's something wrong. Either the seller is making extra profit through shipping, or they haven't double checked the inferior Ebay calculator, or, they just don't care, because Parcel Post is the cheapest (in many ways) carrier and takes forever to get to the destination (sometimes 3 weeks). And as far as my track record goes - you're odds of getting a damaged rig are much higher. UPS Ground (1-7days) would be approx. $39.



• Keeping my first example in mind, when you see (as I did) a microphone up for auction and they're charging $35 via Parcel Post, warning bells should really go off because a microphone weighs far less than an FT-101, and is much smaller in size.



• Question and Educate. Email the seller regarding shipping. Example: I was looking at an item and the seller had a "Flat Rate" (which means no matter where in the US it ships, you'd only pay his flat rate price) charge of $30. He was in Texas, and I'm in Texas. So I wrote and asked him politely if the charge was still the same for my Zip Code. He replied with a charge that was less than half of his Flate Rate. If you feel the rate is too high, ask the seller if they took the item (boxed) to the carrier and got a quote there, or off the internet. If the answer is "Ebay Calculator", ask them if they'll take it to the carrier and get an actual face-to-face second opinion.



• Educate. Many sellers are blissfully ignorant about shipping charges. They plug in the numbers and whatever comes back is what they charge. Give them examples of shipping charges (like my ft101 and microphone) vs. weight/size. They may not be aware of the Post Office's "Flat Rate" boxes (no matter how heavy, if it fits in the box you're only charged the flat rate (they run $8,$9, and I think, $11). It's a good deal for all involved.



• Compare. Many sellers offer two or three different ways to ship and the pricing. I can't tell you how many times I've found US Postal "Priority" to be the same or less than "Parcel Post".



• Boycott. Last but not least - don't buy it if they won't even consider checking into whether or not the shipping price is valid. Unless you really, REALLY want the item, pass on it. Another one will usually come along soon (if not the next day). I've had some experiences where the buyer would not budge from their Parcel Post price, even when they are using the Post Office which offers "Priority" and "Flat Rate Priority". And now, I'll refrain from writing about this topic for at least a couple of months.-

BOOK REVIEW:

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"Microphones - How They Work & How to Use Them"

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Everyone knows how a microphone works right? You talk into it and the person on the other end hears your voice. But what really goes on inside the mike? What are the physical and electrical characteristics between different microphone elements? Why is one microphone good for one thing and another not?

All of these questions and more are answered in this book written by Martin Clifford [1977]. The author begins with microphone theory, and early stabs at the making of the first microphones, and goes on from there. I'm not much of a pure technical reader, and Clifford has blended the correct mixture of technical information and history to make the book interesting to anyone.
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I can't compare this with any other books on Microphones, because I haven't read any others, however, this one seems to have all of the technical information, history, and easy reading that I would want in a book of this nature. At 224 pages, it won't kill you to read it, can only be purchased USED (so the price is right), and comes in three versions: Standard Hardback, Hardback Library Edition, and Softcover - take your pick! I have all three and can assure you that everything is the same, inbetween the covers. This book gets 4 Woody's out of 5 and should be on the shelf in every shack as an excellent reference guide.


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That's it for this post...I have to get back to work on the SPRING 2007 Video!
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WOODY

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BVARC VIDEO

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Here's some video from the BVARC Hamfest, which is part of my "Spring 2007 Video". Enjoy -
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REVIEW:

BVARC HAMFEST

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It is a little after 9pm, and having taken a nice long nap after returning from the BVARC (Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club) Hamfest, I thought I'd write a quick review! This was the first time I've attended their hamfest, however I usually lurk on .825 where many of them talk each day, and so I knew that this was their biggest one to date - held at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds.

Apparently the 'fest has been growing so much each year that they had to find a larger site this year. I decided to go for a couple of reasons: 1).If I didn't make it to Belton (again), at least I could say I went to one this year, and 2). From Sealy, it was a straight shot down hwy 36, and only took about 30min to get there. Well then...enough background, let's get on with the review.
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As I pulled into the parking lot I saw plenty of car with metal antlers ontop - not quite Belton, but bigger than many other local events (600-700 people attended). There were only a few tailgaters, which seemed a bit strange considering we just had a front blow through and the skies were blue with a very nice temperature and humidity. I paid my $5 and went inside...
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There were alot of people inside the building, probably more buyer/lookers than sellers (who were seated at tables), yet, more sellars than you would usually see together in one place, in Houston. Note: Hopefully I'll be able to have some video for you to see later. It seemed well organized (I'll write about this in a minute), but after a quick scan of the room, I could see a lack of many of the retail vendors you'd normally see at Belton, so I set my drool gauge one notch lower. The Grand Prize for the drawing was an Icom IC-718 (beats some places that only have a free hat for giveaways), and everyone seemed pretty happy as they walked around. It felt like a big social event.
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Back to organized. A lot of local hamfests only offer a couple things; a chance to buy or sell something, and an opportunity to meet the guy on the other end of microphone. Belton, which is a very large hamfest, relies on the swap meet to bring in folks (which it does very nicely), with occasional license testing. It was very clear to me that BVARC had a several different attractions, designed to draw in folks for different (or many) reasons:

• They had a swapmeet, in a nice large building.
• They offered license exams not once, but TWICE during the event.
• And they offered 30minutes of information in the form of seminars. Not just one, or two subjects but more than I can remember!

The seminars they offered were:

• Lightning and Grounding
• African DX Safari
• Satellites on a Budget
• Satellite Demonstration
• Antenna Basics and - Stealth
• End fed wire Antennas
• Spider Quads
• WinLink2000
• "Vampire" Electronics
• Deed Restrictions
• Emergency Management
• IRLP
• HF Contesting
• Working DXCC
• Printed Circuit Boards
• DXpedition - Malta
• Last, but certainly not least: An ARRL featured speaker/West Gulf Division Vice Director who had 30 minutes of talking and 30 minutes of Q & A

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There were several that I wanted to attend, and would have liked to taped, but I was on a preset time sked (but the main reason was I left my tripod and wireless microphone at home).

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As I walked through each aisle, I could see that as far as transceivers went, most folks brought HF gear to sell. Some were higher than or equal to EBAY, while others were more realistically priced. In other words, an even balance of pricing. I saw several FT-1000's going for a little over $1,000! What I didn't see were buyers with their arms full, or pulling wagons filled with great finds (like a Belton-sized 'fest would have).

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Naturally, I ran into several old cronies of mine and I think I talked so much my lips were so dry that they were starting to crack. My Plan was to leave around 10a.m., but I didn't get out of there until 11:30 and really had to "put the peddle to the metal" to try and make it back to the Sealy P.O. before they closed (I didn't).

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SUMMARY

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I liked this event, and regret not sitting in on some of the seminars. There were topics to appeal to just about everyone, some retail vendors, lot's of tables with stuff to buy, a nice door prize, and it was well organized. And like I said, clearly planned for future growth in coming years. I think that a lot of retailers blew this off, thinking it wasn't a big deal and they'll regret that decision because there were quite a few new "Generals" coming from the exams looking for HF gear and accessories. Perhaps one reason there weren't more folks buying items, was that they didn't think there would be much to see and came to socialize. The BVARC Hamfest has a strong foothold in the future for the Houston amateur community which has always suffered for lack of a BIG yearly event (the last "BIG" event in Houston, was one held in Humble many years ago). I'll be back next year, and I think so will many others. With word-of-mouth, there is no place but UP for this event to go....Oh, ONE last comment. Most hamfests tend to die off between 10 and 11 a.m. but the BVARC 'fest still had many people there at 11:30, with more arriving, as I left. You don't see that too often.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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FT-450?

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Here is a picture of what is supposed to be the FT-450, currently with the FCC. For PDF of more pictures go here; and for the manual, go here.

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BYE-BYE....CUSHCRAFT??

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In an article posted on the ARRL website I read where Cushcraft was purchased by Laird Technologies, and in press releases by both companies, the Amateur Radio Antenna division was not mentioned. I know it's too early to tell if they will keep it going or not, but my first thoughts were "Bye-bye Cushcraft", followed by my second thought:"If the new Ham licenses continue to boom, perhaps sales of Cushcraft products will also increase". Other sources (much longer) of the purchase come from RF GlobalNet and EETimes.

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"WELL, IT LOOKS COOL...."

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KENWOOD SM-230

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Greetings one and all, as I catch up on my Blog posts! (Having a slipped disc really gives you time for stuff like this). My main topic today are "Monitor-Scopes" for Amateur Radio's, but first my disclaimer: I'm no expert with these, but I have picked up some useful information which makes me smarter than I was two weeks ago.

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I mentioned to a friend of mine that I purchased a used monitor scope. His response was: "What does it do besides looking really cool next to the rig?" And that my friends was a very good question. The only thing I knew about these devices was that I would be able to monitor my outgoing audio, or adjust my audio by looking at the screen and transmitting into a dummy load.

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On some EBay auctions you might see a line like "Pan Adapter 8 installed", and all I knew from those auctions was that the monitor was a LOT more expensive if it had the Pan Adapter installed. I've only found monitor scopes made by Heathkit, Yaesu, and Kenwood (maybe ICOM never made one, or if they did, it's pretty darn scarce). Usually each model scope was made for a current lineup. For instance Yaesu had the YO-100 and YO-101 for the FT-101 series, YO-301 for the FT-301 Series, YO-901 for the FT-901/2 series, and Kenwood had the SM-220 for most of their rigs, and the SM-230 for recent high-end radios. One thing to note: while you get the impression that these can only be used on that series radio, it isn't necessarily so (unless you are using the Pan Adapter, but more about that later).

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My first purchase was a YO-100, which didn't get hooked up for about 2 years. It worked fine, but didn't really match my other rigs. From there I bought a Yaesu YO-901, followed by a Kenwood SM-220. The 220 would be the ideal match for my Kenwood, but I couldn't pass up the YO-901, which had the Pan Adapter option installed.....I have to digress at this stage to point out an observation I made while checking on monitor/scopes: I've seen two YO-901's with the option installed and forsale at one price, and I've seen many SM-220's without the option in the auction, however, they did have the Pan Adapter selling separately, so I have to ask - "Are Kenwood Owners more apt to pull out options and sell individually vs. Yaesu owners who are more generous?? "
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Back to the story.... So, if all you want to do is check your outgoing signal, or are adjusting your audio so that the waves are near perfect and not "Flat Topping", then you can use any scope on any rig. As you can see from the backside of a monitor-scope, it has standard SO-239 HF connectors for your passthru, there is nothing special about that.
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But when you start talking Pan Adapters, it gets a little more complicated. I wasn't really sure what a Pan Adapter did, much less how to connect it up. But from what I understand (and, feel free to write in and correct me if I'm wrong, or if you know of other uses for it) with the Pan Adapter installed it gives you a look at your bandwidth on either side of you, like a snitch - letting you know (and see) if there is any activity on either side of you.
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So why can't this feature work on any other rig, like the monitor?? Because it's matched to the IF frequency of your rig. So if you had a Pan Adapter -8, and your rig's IF was 6Khz, it wouldn't work.
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Maybe you knew all of this already. Maybe you know more, but if you were like me, any information about this expensive and mysterious device is well worth it.
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Here is a short (3min) video I ran across on youtube

That's it for now - Woody

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