Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357
At 7/29/2010 22:30, you wrote: I never saw the highly modified HT-200 of Dick's but I have heard stories of the infamous Drinkie-Talkie (as I heard it referred by) from Neil WA6KLA several times over the years. I remember that Dick's 2m repeater was great to use and listen to in the Mid 70's on my trips into the LA area. Were you a member of his system? From what I remember it was a VERY private system: more than just CTCSS, DCS or DTMF to access it. Bob NO6B
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357
Some of the comments on the Old Motorola's brought back a lot of Memories , There use to be a Store in oak park Il name Spectronics , I recall going there over 40 Yrs ago it was a Drive for Me too from Indiana , They had a large Disc Meter in the Window on 146.520 you could key your radio and check the Freq , I had a old Mot I think 80 D Tube Receiver on the Ind State Police 42.42 I needed a Xtal trimmer Cap for it and They had one for 25 Cents , The guy ask for My Ham lic . I did not have one and He said he could not sell me the part , I finally convinced Him it was a receiver and I had drove a long way So He sold it to Me , I saw pictures on the Wall of Old Motorola's Radios that were sent to the Dump , I never did find that place , I did some Dumpster diving at Motorola in Schaumburg a couple of times on the way back from a hamfest on a Sunday . They also had some Fancy Motorola HT-220 Scan Etc. Kits , I think this Co is the Same People http://www.theportableclinic.com/ Check the site lots of old memories on it I also think Our Member Ted at http://www.mdmradio.com/ was involved with this place I think Don KA9QJG From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:repeater-buil...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of burkleoj Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 12:21 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357 Hey Guys, I remember those days and still have both an HT-200 and HT-220 on 2 Meters. Can anyone tell me what happened to SAROC? When I was active in the 70's it was SAROC and Fresno that I remember most. Then when I got back into the loop SAROC was gone and I never heard the story as to why it went away. Heck I Even made a couple trips to the Reno Hamfest back in the day. Joe - WA7JAW --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com mailto:Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com , tony dinkel tonydinke...@... wrote: I remember that too Ken! I miss SAROC! And for your SoCal types.. I remember seeing Dick McKay walking around the Sahara in Vegas, talking into a Motorola mic (with just the coil cord hanging down) and listening on '94. This was during SAROC in the 70's Ken __
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357
Albert, 94 refers to 146.940 Mhz, the original frequency used by many on FM...I got on in 1968. Then if 94 was busy some would switch to 76 146.760. 94 was often referred to as Channel A Most new repeaters in those days were on 146.940 with the input on 146.340. 73 John VE3AMZ - Original Message - From: hitekgearhead hitekgearh...@hotmail.com To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 9:51 AM Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357 You guys will have to find a picture of that. It sounds hysterical! I assume Mr. McKay built the transmitter right into the mic, no? And you will have to excuse me, but what is a 94? I myself don't have stories like this because I am a child of the 80's, but I love hearing about it and am know amongst my friends as the keeper of old things. This is why you all keep getting questions from me regarding the Genesis radios. Keep the stories and good advice coming. -Albert --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, tony dinkel tonydinke...@... wrote: I remember that too Ken! I miss SAROC! And for your SoCal types.. I remember seeing Dick McKay walking around the Sahara in Vegas, talking into a Motorola mic (with just the coil cord hanging down) and listening on '94. This was during SAROC in the 70's Ken _ Hotmail is redefining busy with tools for the New Busy. Get more from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_2 Yahoo! Groups Links
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357
At 06:51 AM 07/28/10, you wrote: You guys will have to find a picture of that. It sounds hysterical! It was. It looked like a stock mobile microphone off a Motrac. He had a belt clip that normally held a HT, but the hangup button from the mic fit into it just fine. He'd have the end of mic cord stuck in his pocket. Some one would call him on the HT radio, and he'd answer on the mobile mic, and people thought he had a transmitter in his pocket. But if he pulled on the mic just right the cord would pop out of his pocket - and it still worked! I assume Mr. McKay built the transmitter right into the mic, no? Yes. Dick McKay K6VGP is an old-time 2m pioneer in the Los Angeles area - and despite being a career pilot with United (now retired) he's an exceptionally good engineer (a future project of his is a complete rebuild of a Beech Staggerwing). In the late 1960s when I first met Dick he had a 2m repeater that grew to six receive sites and two transmit sites, and a 440 repeater that functioned as a control channel and as an intercom among the dozen or so control operators. The two channels could be tied together or run separately. The system also had a HF remote base that could be accessed from either side, and normally lived on 20 meters. He can tell you stories about the Old Farts on 20 meters trying to describe the problem his SSB radio had with the strange sounding audio and the funny sound at the end of his transmissions... (the squelch tail) You've got a funny oscillation in your microphone was one such comment... At one point you could move around the band with the DC motor worm drive on the VFO knob. A quick tap on star or pound would bump you around 200hz. For may LA area hams that started out on 2m that system was their first exposure to DXing - occasionally you'd hear DIck working DX (like Pitcarin Island) while he sitting in a restaurant and talking on a handheld. The mobile mic transmitter was basically a modulated oscillator / quintupler that used a 29.38 MHz rock, and was powered by a 9v battery. The shield of the microphone curly-cord was the antenna. It probably ran 25-50 milliwatts. At SAROC he was receiving on an HT100 that he had modified from 2 channels to 6 (the HT100 was a real Moto product that was made from slimiline HT220 less the final transistor, and in a very short case that had the battery mounted behind the radio. In stock configuration the HT100 ran about 250-300 mW and was intended for low power applications like a stage crew radio. Due to the price it was not a popular radio, I've only seen one other than the one that Dick has. Some photos of Dick's radio are at http://www.repeater-builder.com/wa6ilq/ht100 Yes, the antenna on HT200s, HT220s, MT500s and HT100s collapsed into the case. He still has the HT100, and if he has the trick microphone, it probably still works. One toy of his that I saw only at SAROC was the hip flask he built from an intrinsically safe HT200 case (complete with collapsed Dixie cups stashed in the battery compartment). It looked like a stock radio until he popped the top cap off of the antenna and poured out the beverage. And you will have to excuse me, but what is a 94? Today you'd describe a repeater that received on 146.22 and transmitted on 146.82 as being on 146.82 and down 600. In the early days of 2M FM you'd say it was on 22-82 since the only frequencies available to repeaters was the range of 146-148. A repeater that was on 147.18 would be said to be on 78-18. The terminology started to get unwieldy when the splinter channels were developed (like 146.625 / 025) and when repeaters were allowed in the 145 area, That's when the current terminology became popular. So someone operating on 94 was on 146.94 simplex. I myself don't have stories like this because I am a child of the 80's, but I love hearing about it and am know amongst my friends as the keeper of old things. This is why you all keep getting questions from me regarding the Genesis radios. Keep the stories and good advice coming. -Albert --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, tony dinkel tonydinke...@... wrote: I remember that too Ken! I miss SAROC! And for your SoCal types.. I remember seeing Dick McKay walking around the Sahara in Vegas, talking into a Motorola mic (with just the coil cord hanging down) and listening on '94. This was during SAROC in the 70's Ken
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357
At 11:46 PM 7/27/2010, ka9qjg wrote: Some of the comments on the Old Motorola's brought back a lot of Memories , There use to be a Store in oak park Il name Spectronics , I recall going there over 40 Yrs ago it was a Drive for Me too from Indiana , They had a large Disc Meter in the Window on 146.520 you could key your radio and check the Freq , I had a old Mot I think 80 D Tube Receiver on the Ind State Police 42.42 Again for the SoCal types, we had 2 places that had lots of surplus Batwing (and others) gear C A Electronics in Carson (good ol' Art Sr and Art Jr (AJ). There was another place (much bigger) in Agoura Hills as I remember too. Can't remember their name however (sure someone here can) but they were HUGE. And I was the very first coordinee (is that a word?) of tertiary splits in SoCal as well, as our coordinated channels were moved from 147.39/99 to 146.745/145. I was WA6EMV in those days (ew, that was YOU?) BTW, someone recently sent me some TRW ARC newsletters from the 70s (when I was a member) with an article I wrote for a VHF power amp. I have it PDF if anyone is interested for whatever reason. Memories... Ken -- President and CTO - Arcom Communications Makers of repeater controllers and accessories. http://www.arcomcontrollers.com/ Authorized Dealers for Kenwood and Telewave and we offer complete repeater packages! AH6LE/R - IRLP Node 3000 http://www.irlp.net We don't just make 'em. We use 'em!
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Digest Number 7357
Wow Mike, you are da man! (that and you have WY too much time on your hands! g) To have the kind of detail at your fingertips is, well.. downright scary! Ah, the SoCal days of the 34/94 wars, wars with DR0NK and so on. Ken At 10:18 AM 7/28/2010, Mike Morris wrote: At 06:51 AM 07/28/10, you wrote: You guys will have to find a picture of that. It sounds hysterical! It was. It looked like a stock mobile microphone off a Motrac. He had a belt clip that normally held a HT, but the hangup button from the mic fit into it just fine. He'd have the end of mic cord stuck in his pocket. Some one would call him on the HT radio, and he'd answer on the mobile mic, and people thought he had a transmitter in his pocket. But if he pulled on the mic just right the cord would pop out of his pocket - and it still worked! I assume Mr. McKay built the transmitter right into the mic, no? Yes. Dick McKay K6VGP is an old-time 2m pioneer in the Los Angeles area - and despite being a career pilot with United (now retired) he's an exceptionally good engineer (a future project of his is a complete rebuild of a Beech Staggerwing). In the late 1960s when I first met Dick he had a 2m repeater that grew to six receive sites and two transmit sites, and a 440 repeater that functioned as a control channel and as an intercom among the dozen or so control operators. The two channels could be tied together or run separately. The system also had a HF remote base that could be accessed from either side, and normally lived on 20 meters. He can tell you stories about the Old Farts on 20 meters trying to describe the problem his SSB radio had with the strange sounding audio and the funny sound at the end of his transmissions... (the squelch tail) You've got a funny oscillation in your microphone was one such comment... At one point you could move around the band with the DC motor worm drive on the VFO knob. A quick tap on star or pound would bump you around 200hz. For may LA area hams that started out on 2m that system was their first exposure to DXing - occasionally you'd hear DIck working DX (like Pitcarin Island) while he sitting in a restaurant and talking on a handheld. The mobile mic transmitter was basically a modulated oscillator / quintupler that used a 29.38 MHz rock, and was powered by a 9v battery. The shield of the microphone curly-cord was the antenna. It probably ran 25-50 milliwatts. At SAROC he was receiving on an HT100 that he had modified from 2 channels to 6 (the HT100 was a real Moto product that was made from slimiline HT220 less the final transistor, and in a very short case that had the battery mounted behind the radio. In stock configuration the HT100 ran about 250-300 mW and was intended for low power applications like a stage crew radio. Due to the price it was not a popular radio, I've only seen one other than the one that Dick has. Some photos of Dick's radio are at http://www.repeater-builder.com/wa6ilq/ht100http://www.repeater-builder.com/wa6ilq/ht100 Yes, the antenna on HT200s, HT220s, MT500s and HT100s collapsed into the case. He still has the HT100, and if he has the trick microphone, it probably still works. One toy of his that I saw only at SAROC was the hip flask he built from an intrinsically safe HT200 case (complete with collapsed Dixie cups stashed in the battery compartment). It looked like a stock radio until he popped the top cap off of the antenna and poured out the beverage. And you will have to excuse me, but what is a 94? Today you'd describe a repeater that received on 146.22 and transmitted on 146.82 as being on 146.82 and down 600. In the early days of 2M FM you'd say it was on 22-82 since the only frequencies available to repeaters was the range of 146-148. A repeater that was on 147.18 would be said to be on 78-18. The terminology started to get unwieldy when the splinter channels were developed (like 146.625 / 025) and when repeaters were allowed in the 145 area, That's when the current terminology became popular. So someone operating on 94 was on 146.94 simplex. I myself don't have stories like this because I am a child of the 80's, but I love hearing about it and am know amongst my friends as the keeper of old things. This is why you all keep getting questions from me regarding the Genesis radios. Keep the stories and good advice coming. -Albert --- In mailto:Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.comRepeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, tony dinkel tonydinke...@... wrote: I remember that too Ken! I miss SAROC! And for your SoCal types.. I remember seeing Dick McKay walking around the Sahara in Vegas, talking into a Motorola mic (with just the coil cord hanging down) and listening on '94. This was during SAROC in the 70's Ken -- President and CTO - Arcom Communications Makers of repeater controllers and accessories. http://www.arcomcontrollers.com/ Authorized
