On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:07:11 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:30:32 +0000 (UTC), Meat Plow
wrote:

Those that suggested the fix called it grounding. That's all I know.

I suppose it's possible to play with the grounding enough to affect the
feedback phase of the microphonics, but the main cause is mechanical.
Generate a UHF carrier with something, and set the radio to that channel
with a fairly strong carrier. Put the radio to your ear and beat on the
case with something. Can you hear the pounding coming out of the
speaker? If yes, you have microphonics.

No, tapping on it will not induce micro-phonics but will often lessen the
howl. Once the radio is on, the howl goes away, maybe after 10 minutes.
I'm no newbie to micro-phonics. Some of the old PLL-02a chassis CB radios
would howl if you turned up the volume. But you could also hear a high
pitch whine in the howl if you tapped on the chip.

Yeah the WIRES/ inet radio is crap. And the beacon function for other
hams radios to alert when your in range. Forget what that's called maybe
ARS? It's got a lot of good functions besides that. I'd like to see a
battery voltage display option that keeps it on the screen past power on
like the VX-5 has.

I think it's Alinco that has the ultrasonic sound generator that keeps
the mosquitoes away. Now, that's innovation.

No kidding LOL!

Unless your repeater is a few miles in radius from you a small duck is
good enough. My closest repeater is 12 miles. I have a Cushcraft AR270
about 15 feet above the roof with Belden 8319 coax @ about 560 foot.
Does a great job. Also have at about the same height a Cush Ringo AR6.

I think we have more repeaters than active hams in the area. Choice is
a good thing, until it's time to program the radio. The small rubber
duck is usually enough. For anything more, I sometimes play mobile
repeater using the radio in my vehicle.

I sometimes serve as our district's backbone liaison for Skywarn and
talk to the NWS on 6. Make me feel like a big shot.

We have some local hams that are members of Skywarn. There's also a ham
station at the NWS office in Monterey, CA. I'm (fortunately) not
involved. We have micro climates here due to the mountains. It's not
unusual to have a heavy rain that's only about a mile wide.

We have it here due to severe thunderstorms with large hail, damaging
winds, localized flooding, micro-bursts and tornadoes. In April of 2002
a tornado narrowly missed my place. Winds took out windows, ripped siding
off houses one street down, took down large trees behind my property,
then jumped a 1/4 mile and continued. The same tornado traveled about 15
miles landing then rising taking out a whole neighborhood 8 miles before
it got here. So we have the potential for some damaging storms. I
remember in 1999 I had just purchased a Dodge 4x4 in the spring. I was
out chasing a storm around and got pelted by some golf ball sized hail.
That ended my chasing days. I don't have a beater that I care about
looking like someone took a hammer to it.




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Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse