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Re: New Version of the RATS FT-817 GUI Available - It Has A New Look
Mark A. Smith
Sorry guys, I made some changes to the web page names shortly after
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publishing those links without realizing what I had done. Guess the late night programming is caching up to me. The link is: I also had problems getting to the ft817_picture.htm page from the Home page. I didn't have my browser options set to reload web pages on each visit, so I had to back up one page to the prod_ft817.htm page and refresh that page to update the links to the picture page. The old saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it", applies here! Sorry for the inconvenience. 73 Mark KB5KYX ----- Original Message -----
From: "Pres Waterman" <pres@...> To: <FT817@...> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2001 10:29 PM Subject: Re: [FT817] Re: New Version of the RATS FT-817 GUI Available - It Has A New Look --- In FT817@y..., "Pres Waterman" <pres@1...> wrote:software.OOPS, here are the links for easy access to the new RATS FT-817software.com/FT817_picture.htm Ah. Thanks David. THAT's the difference. So many people don't realize that URLs are case-sensitive. And I didn't catch the upper-lower thing. That explains why navigation worked... the internal link is correct. Pres Waterman W2PW c/o Patchogue Motors, Inc. Long Island Ford and Kia Dealer GO BILLS! To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: FT817-unsubscribe@... and for a great FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions ) see Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to |
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Re: Extensive field operation results
Tom Mc
the questI just tried an antenna today that worked well on 10 through 40. I had my 33ft spools of wire with tennis balls , but forgot my feedline for an invert V... So I just turned it up side down; as a Y. Feed was done from a 2ft lenght of coax with banana clips on the ends, the wire went into the clips and I put the wire as high as possible at both ends ( actually abt 20ft high at highest ) Worked well and tuned easily with both the ZM-2 and the Z-11 auto. Whatever works! best Tom aa2vk -- **** * Member of NORCAL, NJQRP, LIQRP, SGCI * * K2 #1213 * * LIQRP Web Page: www.erols.com/tjmc/liqrp * * Personal web page : www.erols.com/tjmc * **** |
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Extensive field operation results
Glyph
Finally! I had most of Thursday, Friday and Saturday (and early Sunday morning) at a cabin at a lake in the Northern Sierra Nevada mountains (5,000 feet elev.) to try for contacts with my 817. Propagation conditions were clearly not optimal -- as I observed and heard others on the air observe. Actually DX was coming in, but noise (QRN) levels were high. The highest HF band I heard open was 15 meters.
The location, though picturesque, was not optimal. I was not on a mountaintop with no trees around. I was in a basin of sorts in the mountains with a high hill to my rear, removing a good signal shot to the SW, south and SE. So it wasn't surprising that all of my contacts were to the north, NE or east. I also had dense, high pine trees to my east, south and west. The lake (Bucks Lake, near Quincy, CA) was directly in front of the cabin to the west, north and east. I was basically using the trip to compare different antennas for possible use for my upcoming bicycle tour. I was able to try two of Bonnie Crystals designs, my regular "Suburban Multi-bander" (a ladder-line design similar to a G5RV gleaned from one of the ARRL antenna compendiums) in an inverted V configuration, and a hamstick. The hamstick experiment was a disaster, which I'll cover later. And of course, my experimenting was not all done at the same time, but at different times on different days. So it is not totally scientific. Also, no placebo effect was measured! If you've never looked over Bonnie Crystal's MiniBac designs, go to Yahoo and type in "Bonnie Crystal" and "antenna," then select search. The link pops right up. I should also mention that my cabin had a metal roof and the antennas were in proximity to that. But this is real life stuff here -- making the best of what you have. My first antenna was Bonnie's 98-foot line in an inverted L configuration -- 32 feet up, then 66 feet horizontal. The other 98-foot line is used as a counterpoise or ground line underneath the overhead line. Using a Emtech ZM2 manual antenna tuner at all times, I was able to load it well on the bands I was using (40 meters and up). Using this antenna I was able with moderate effort to obtain CW contacts around the northern U.S. and in Canada. I was always using 5 watts. (Note: the wire I had with me was steel wire -- copper would be optimal.) I could say that I was pleased with this antenna. It's easy to put up, and easy to stow, although the lengths of wire are somewhat long. I was somewhat confused as to whether I should connect this style antenna to the double antenna posts on the ZM2 or to the coax connector. As I read the directions for the tuner, it recommended the double antenna posts, but I was able to get contacts using either of the outputs. A bit of information here about the ZM2 .... Regarding its use in all of these tests ... Sometimes it appears that it is not able to load a particular antenna on a particular band. Tuning first without the transmitter on, I tune for maximum atmospheric noise. Following that, if an easy tuneup with the transmitter on is not happening, I used this method -- I set the variable capacitor nearest to the neon bulb to zero and then quickly tuned the other cap through its range, using the 817's SWR indicator bars. Then I would repeat doing this at (using the cap's scale on the panel) .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 etc. until I finally had a match. Cumbersome, but it finally obtained several matches for me that I thought were impossible. Of course, after so much work, you want to write down a particular combination for a particular band. On some bands, the minimum SWR point is very sharp. I'm not very happy with the neon tuning light on the ZM2 -- I prefer to use the 817's SWR indicator. Next I tried Bonnie's delta antenna where she's using one 98-foot-long wire in a triangle shape, with the ends of the wire twisted together for 16 feet to provide a feed line to the transmitter. This twisting sounds easier than it really is. And of course, the question is, how close should these two feed lines be together? This antenna didn't load all that well on several of the high SF bands, and I wasn't happy with it. The big question here is -- this antenna as a whole was close to the metal roof, while a major part of the inverted L antenna was away from the roof. So maybe sometime I'll try it entirely away from extraneous metal. Next I tried my Suburban Multibander G5RV-type antenna. I've used this for a number of years -- I have one up at home. It's basically a 90+ foot-long dipole fed with around 40+ feet of 450-ohm ladderline. Its optimal band for easy tuning is 20 meters. In the field I use it as an inverted-V antenna requiring only one support (as did Bonnie's two antennas). I try to get the arms as high up as possible. It all winds up into a pretty compact roll -- but because of the plastic-covered ladderline, it weighs more than plain wire antennas. The ZM2 loaded it well on all bands 80 meters through 10 meters, with the 30 meter CW band being difficult to load (requiring my special technique, above). This antenna was broadside to the north. I had my most luck with this antenna. My only DX contact, Russia, was obtained with it, on 17 meter CW. A 5-5 report. I should mention to new hams that when single sideband contacts just aren't happening, CW is a better bet. It's easier to get through atmospheric noise and get attention. Some of you are like me, somewhat embarrassed because our CW receiving speed isn't very high (I estimate my copy at 10-13 wpm) -- and some people copy in their mind -- while I have to write it all down. So if I'm calling someone who called CQ using CW at a high rate of speed, I ask him or her to "QRS" -- send at a slower speed. A bit of advice -- never send faster than you can receive. For that reason, I've always stuck to a manual key -- it keeps my sending speed down. This brings up another item. Rather than having to use a key to create a carrier for antenna tuning on the 817, I'm considering just building in a switch parallel to the key jack so I can easily flick the carrier on and off. Now for the final antenna test -- the hamstick. I climbed halfway up a mountain 'til I got to a rocky, level portion with a great view of all the surrounding mountains -- some with snow still on their peaks. I had heard that it was possible to take a 10-meter hamstick and using a tuner, tune it on a number of other bands, too. That was not to be. Using the Radio Shack roll-up SWL antenna as a counterpoise, and with the bottom of the hamstick around 5 feet above real earth, I was unable to tune the antenna even on 10 meters. I gave up on HF and just had a couple distant 2-meter repeater contacts (using just 1/2 watt at that elevation!) just so the trip was somewhat worthwhile! Don't take this as an indictment of hamsticks -- I've used this particular antenna on a magnetic mount on top a car and worked DX with it and 25 watts. So when I returned to the cabin I tested it again strapped to the porch, using one of Bonnie Crystal's 98-foot-long antenna wires as a counterpoise or ground wire. Same exact result. However, my 20-meter hamstick loaded fine. I didn't try to get contacts using the 20-meter hamstick, though. Don't know if 10 meter hamstick has developed a problem or is really finicky when not used with a car. One other discovery on this trip was that the power output of my 12-amp Astron switching power supply was not 100% clean. On one or more bands it was causing interference. Heck, my little Qualcomm wall wart 2.5 amp supply was just as clean, it seemed. I will have to do more tests with the Astron. I had assumed such a fine brand name would assure me of a 100% clean supply. Half the time I used a 5 ah lead acid battery. With the display light off and using headphones the rig really would run a long time without need for a battery recharge. Also, at the last moment before I left on this trip I bought a very lightweight Sony set of headphones designed for Walkman use. They are the side-discharge type -- not the type that uses pads over the ears. I was very impressed and they're only $10 or so. I'll use them on the bike tour -- one more way to reduce weight and space requirements. I'm thinking of taking my usual "Suburban Multi-bander" along on my bicycle tour, but also having the possibility of removing the arms and using them as part of Bonnie Crystal's inverted L antenna, should I choose to go that route. I have considered getting Verne's MP-1 antenna, but since my usual transmission spots on the bike tour are in campgrounds with trees, I feel my best results are going to come from antennas as high up as possible. The MP-1 however would have been great for my mountainside location where I was trying to use my hamstick .... I also have this vision of just shooting a 98-foot long-wire up over the crowns of trees or over the tops of pine boughs at the tops of those trees. The idea being to get the antenna out in the open air. Someday someone will do some research on how much tree foliage cuts radiated power. Anyone have any test data on this? Well, I hope you were able to wade through all of this text. For me, the quest for the perfect multi-band, lightweight, easy-stowable field antenna continues .... -- Bil KD6JUI San Mateo, CA |
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Re: New Version of the RATS FT-817 GUI Available - It Has A New Look
Does it matter if the program looks like another radio, as long as it
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is well layed out, looks presentable and performs well? I like FTBasic. It works well, doesn't lock up my machine, has a nice GUI, and the cost is trivial. Besides ... I know Bob Freeth will be adding as many features as he can think of for the next while. Talk about incredible value. The FT-817 does take a little getting used to, but so do the IC706, the FT-100, the FT-847, etc. and so will any program to control any of these radios. Personally, I really dislike some of the cryptic abbreviations that the manufacturers have used in the menus - but we're stuck with them until something better comes along. 73. Rick (VE3CVG) --- In FT817@y..., "Steve Howell" <AB8JC@y...> wrote:
Am I the only person who thinks that it's amazing that usersNope. I haven't had an HF rig in 10+ years, so I'm *definitely* |
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Re: A thought for julian.
Glyph
Then we have mistaken antenna nomenclature. The traditional ground plane
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antenna in the U.S. (called that at whatever height above real earth it is) has radials. Figure that out .... -- Bil KD6JUI ----- Original Message -----
From: <maxrotax@...> To: <FT817@...> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2001 3:12 AM Subject: [FT817] A thought for julian. A perfect groundplane(sheet)....................is half a capacitor.Questions ) see
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Re: Loop antenna
Don
If you use a magnetic loop you'll have a fairly small loop. My 14 to 30 Mhz
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loop is only 36 inches. ----- Original Message -----
From: "Glyph" <bbp@...> To: <FT817@...> Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2001 8:27 PM Subject: Re: [FT817] Loop antenna It would be interesting to design a "fold-up" loop of some sort that couldof actualcourse various factors will reduce it to less than that. The thing youhaveto remember is that it was designed to be small, not efficient. the feetdiameter of a 1/10 wave loop at this design frequency is less than 2 3withinches. If you start getting larger in diameter the radiation patternsmall aoverlines.339 signal report! Not bad from Tucson Arizona! aboveradio$10.The small 6 inch diameter primary loop is made from #6 copper wire. thebandwidthground. I'm sure it would work better up higher, I use mine oriented ofthanyouronly a few Khz. This means that you must retune the loop if you varynarrowfrequency very much. This is fine when using CW or PSK31 but is totuningfor SSB unless you have a motorized tuning capacitor so that you canretuneeasily. I believe that MFJ has a loop with some form of automaticwant amechanism which would help immensely but from what I remember theypremium price for such an otherwise simple antenna. I spent less $20webbuilding mine but I have to manually tune it. pageportablefor you to look at for ideas. Questions ) seeantennas.Bill Walker - KD7JZB /Questions ) see Questions ) see
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Re: Loop antenna
Glyph
It would be interesting to design a "fold-up" loop of some sort that could
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be very compact but expandable into a really efficient size. Of couse, the design perameters usually call for a very good conductor with no purely mechanical connections if at all possible. They're usually built out of copper pipe (anyone got gold pipe?). Here's someone's mission impossible. -- Bil KD6JUI ----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Walker <kd7jzb@...> To: <FT817@...> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 8:19 AM Subject: Re: [FT817] Loop antenna True, the efficiency of mine calculates to be around 35% at 14.1Mhz and ofhave to remember is that it was designed to be small, not efficient. the actual3 inches. If you start getting larger in diameter the radiation patternsmall metersto have good radiation efficiency on 20 meters. Maybe 10 meters or 6 paceswould be optimal. I'm too lazy to look up the optimal sizes in the ARRL "Smallwith various field-type antennas -- specifically, hamsticks, G5RV-type well.HF Transmitting Loop Antennas". diameterActually loops are very simple to build. I have a 2 foot 6 inch performanceloop which tunes 20M thru 12M and appears to be comparable in camerato my half wave dipole. atripod in the shack about 4 feet above the floor and using my trustyFT-817at 5 watts, answered N8LWV calling CQ on 20M (ssb) from Grand Rapids lines.339 signal report! Not bad from Tucson Arizona! radioIpurchased the tubing at Home Depot in a 10 foot coil for a little over$10.The small 6 inch diameter primary loop is made from #6 copper wire. theand go to the park, and it seems to work pretty well 7 or 8 feet above ofground. I'm sure it would work better up higher, I use mine oriented youronly a few Khz. This means that you must retune the loop if you vary narrowfrequency very much. This is fine when using CW or PSK31 but is to tuningfor SSB unless you have a motorized tuning capacitor so that you canretuneeasily. I believe that MFJ has a loop with some form of automatic want amechanism which would help immensely but from what I remember they $20premium price for such an otherwise simple antenna. I spent less than pagebuilding mine but I have to manually tune it. for you to look at for ideas.Questions ) see Questions ) seeBill Walker - KD7JZB
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Re: Maldol Antennas Experience
--- In FT817@y..., "Stephen M. King" <frastephen@h...> wrote:
I picked up the Maldol 10m antenna that attaches to the BNCconnector and was able to try it out yesterday and today.(would have been a great place for QRPTTF -- especially given this year'stheme!). It received fairly well -- very low noise. But no joy in the QSOdepartment. the base and tried again. This time worked EA7RU in Spain from under a treeat a rest stop on I-295 in NJ. He was 59 on the meter and he gave me a55. Not bad for a tiny antenna and 5 watts! Not sure if the counterpoisehelped or not but it seems that this is standard practice for using antenna'slike this...loading coil. The pieces break down into two ~8 - 9 inch sections that arevery thin. The whip section is roughly the thickness of a pencil andthe loading coil is roughly the thickness of a fountain pen. Theantenna "tuned" easily. When the whip was fully extended it was close to beingtuned at the bottom of 10m and then just had to keep shortening it up forthe higher parts of the band. I just used the built-in SWR meter foradjusting. that out on 20m CW.antenna's ...
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Re: Maldol Antennas Experience
what dose a conterpoise do is it like a ground plain>
I just got my new ft817 and am waiting for a set of Maldol antennas (would have been a great place for QRPTTF -- especially given this year'stheme!). It received fairly well -- very low noise. But no joy in the QSOdepartment. the base and tried again. This time worked EA7RU in Spain from under a treeat a rest stop on I-295 in NJ. He was 59 on the meter and he gave me a55. Not bad for a tiny antenna and 5 watts! Not sure if the counterpoisehelped or not but it seems that this is standard practice for using antenna'slike this...loading coil. The pieces break down into two ~8 - 9 inch sections that arevery thin. The whip section is roughly the thickness of a pencil andthe loading coil is roughly the thickness of a fountain pen. Theantenna "tuned" easily. When the whip was fully extended it was close to beingtuned at the bottom of 10m and then just had to keep shortening it up forthe higher parts of the band. I just used the built-in SWR meter foradjusting. that out on 20m CW.antenna's ...
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Re: HL50B Sold
Jeffrey Steinberg
How did you get your unit?
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-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony R. Gargano [mailto:n2ss@...] Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2001 12:19 PM To: FT817@... Subject: [FT817] HL50B Sold Unbelievable response! I received numerous responses within minutes of posting my for sale message. Only fair way was to take the earliest timestamped reply and he confirmed he would take it. I'll retain the other messages just in case the sale does not get consummated. Many thanks to all for the replies. Tony N2SS Yahoo! Groups Sponsor www. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: FT817-unsubscribe@... and for a great FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions ) see Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. |
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Re: New Version of the RATS FT-817 GUI Available - It Has A New Look
Am I the only person who thinks that it's amazing that usersNope. I haven't had an HF rig in 10+ years, so I'm *definitely* confused enough by the '817, let alone another rig! |
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HL50B Sold
Anthony R. Gargano
Unbelievable response! I received numerous responses within minutes of posting my for sale message. Only fair way was to take the earliest timestamped reply and he confirmed he would take it. I'll retain the other messages just in case the sale does not get consummated. Many thanks to all for the replies. Tony N2SS
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New file uploaded to FT817
Hello,
This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the FT817 group. File : /The Best Case Available!/case3.jpg Uploaded by : kg7yc@... Description : Thger is all kinds of compartments inside & out for batteries, power cord. even spare ant.s seem to be made to fit. You can access this file at the URL To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit Regards, kg7yc@... |
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New file uploaded to FT817
Hello,
This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the FT817 group. File : /The Best Case Available!/case2.jpg Uploaded by : kg7yc@... Description : Fits perfectly with accessories & book You can access this file at the URL To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit Regards, kg7yc@... |
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New file uploaded to FT817
Hello,
This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the FT817 group. File : /The Best Case Available!/case1.jpg Uploaded by : kg7yc@... Description : Notice pouch for mic. You can access this file at the URL To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit Regards, kg7yc@... |
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New file uploaded to FT817
Hello,
This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the FT817 group. File : /mudd3.jpg Uploaded by : kg7yc@... Description : The Best Case Available!! You can access this file at the URL To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit Regards, kg7yc@... |
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