‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2009 QST  PAGES 65 AND 81  ‰
NOT PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE BELOW 1 GHZ IN ANY HAM APPLICATION I CAN THINK
OF.  DAVID, G3JKB, WROTE TO DESCRIBE HIS EXPERIENCE WITH NOISE PICKUP ON
BALANCED FEEDERS IN RESPONSE TO MY CAUTION IN THE JANUARY 2009 COLUMN.  I
WAS SURPRISED AT THE AMOUNT OF PICKUP HE
‰  FROM PAGE 81  ‰
KA1CQR 12 B A N2QT 348,968 B B KB8UUZ 33,916 B B ND0C 36,698 B A KW7N 8,704

CAN USE A SINGLE CABLE FROM THE RECEIVER AUDIO OUTPUT TO YOUR SOUND CARD
INPUT AND MONITOR WHATS GOING ON WHILE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GET USED TO THE
SOFTWARE CHOICES.  I RECOMMEND STARTING THERE, IN ANY CASE.  Q BILL, W0HBH,
ASKS I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1500 W HF LINEAR AMPLIFIER.  UNTIL THAT TIME I
HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH RFI IN THE HOUSE THAT I KNOW OF.  DURING ONE
OF THE RECENT CONTESTS, I PUSHED THE POWER UP TO ABOUT 1300 W ON 20 METERS
AND MY WIFE CAME INTO THE SHACK AND TOLD ME THAT I WAS CREATING A NOISE AND
SOMEWHAT OF A SMELL UPSTAIRS.  IN ADDITION, THE VIDEO ON THE TV WAS GOING
BLANK DURING MY TRANSMISSIONS.  I WENT UPSTAIRS TO INVESTIGATE WHILE
ANOTHER HAM KEYED THE TRANSMITTER.  IT TURNED OUT THAT AT LEAST TWO GROUND
FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS GFCI WERE CHATTERING AND KILLING THE POWER TO
THE APPLIANCES PLUGGED INTO THEM SUCH THAT THEY HAD TO BE RESET.  A THANKS
TO ARRL LAB RFI ENGINEER MIKE GRUBER, W1MG, FOR RESPONDING TO THIS ONE.
USUALLY THE MOST PRACTICAL AND ECONOMICAL SOLUTION IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS
‰  FROM PAGE 81  ‰
607,005 A C K1DG 1,982,916 A C N5DX 1,389,545 A C KE9I 497,484 A C K5NA
1,249,620 A C K1LZ 1,787,478 A C W4AN 1,029,155 A C VE3XN 245,291 A C W5KFT

ENOUGH SIGNAL FROM YOUR LINE OUT TO DRIVE THE SOUND CARD.  IN ADDITION, YOU
NEED TO HAVE A WAY OF SWITCHING THE RADIO FROM RECEIVE TO TRANSMIT.  THAT
CAN BE USING THE VOX BUT BE CAREFUL OF STRANGE COMPUTER VOICES YOUVE GOT
MAIL THAT CAN ALSO GO OUT OVER THE AIR.  IN THE ABSENCE OF VOX, YOU COULD
EVEN USE A MANUAL SWITCH ON YOUR PUSH TO TALK PTT LINE, BUT THAT WOULD GET
CUMBERSOME.  A SOUND CARD INTERFACE PROVIDES TRANSFORMER ISOLATION ON THE
MIC LINE, TO HELP AVOID HUM PICKUP.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT PICKS UP THE
TRANSMIT COMMAND FROM THE PC SERIAL PORT AND SWITCHES THE RADIO PTT LINE
FOR YOU SO YOU DONT NEED TO USE THE RADIO VOX FUNCTION.  SOME ALLOW YOU TO
SWITCH BETWEEN MIC AND SOUND CARD, AND ALSO PROVIDE A SEPARATE GAIN
CONTROL, SO YOU DONT HAVE TO CHANGE EVERYTHING EVERY TIME YOU GO BACK TO
VOICE MODE.  SO YOU CAN START OUT WITH THE SIMPLE CONNECTIONS, BUT IF YOU
USE IT A LOT, YOU WILL LIKELY WANT AN INTERFACE EVENTUALLY.  ALL OF THE
ABOVE APPLIES TO YOUR 2 METER TRANSCEIVER, AS WELL AS MOST HF RADIOS.  THE
TUNA TIN RADIO IM THINKING OF IS JUST A CW TRANSMITTER AND THUS DOESNT DO
SOUNDS AT ALL, SO YOURE KIND OF STUCK.  THE SOFT ROCK IS A RECEIVER, SO YOU
‰  FROM PAGE 81  ‰
193,533 A B VE7CC 964,626 A C KA1MDQ 20,800 A B W4KAZ 48,090 A B NR9A
143,226 A B K6XX 943,520 A C K3XO 46,926 A B VE3AT 1,930,480 A C VE4YU
141,030 A B K6AM 648,875 A C VY2ZM 2,339,922 A C VE3EJ 1,923,750 A C N6AN
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ