On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 21:31:50 GMT, "Doug" wrote:


"krj" wrote in message
...
Me wrote:
In article ,
krj wrote:
snip
Tropscatter should remind Bruce in AK of the old White Alice systems up
there.

73
Doug K7ABX


It reminds me also. Did you happen to work on them too, Doug?

The DEW-Line used Troposcatter Quad Diversity radio systems too.
I loved putting that on resumes, except no one knew what it meant.

I worked on both the DEW-Line and White Alice (plus flew the Barrier (WV-2) while in the
USN, from Midway to Adak and return...non-stop).
We used to keep AFRN on a speaker so we could tell if fading was beginning.
The first time I heard the pop song "Vibrations" on AFRN, I nearly freaked...I *knew*
my radios were going down, but didn't have a clue as to how or why....
Norm B

"engsol" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 21:31:50 GMT, "Doug" wrote:


"krj" wrote in message
...
Me wrote:
In article ,
krj wrote:
snip
Tropscatter should remind Bruce in AK of the old White Alice systems up
there.

73
Doug K7ABX


It reminds me also. Did you happen to work on them too, Doug?

The DEW-Line used Troposcatter Quad Diversity radio systems too.
I loved putting that on resumes, except no one knew what it meant.

I worked on both the DEW-Line and White Alice (plus flew the Barrier
(WV-2) while in the
USN, from Midway to Adak and return...non-stop).
We used to keep AFRN on a speaker so we could tell if fading was
beginning.
The first time I heard the pop song "Vibrations" on AFRN, I nearly
freaked...I *knew*
my radios were going down, but didn't have a clue as to how or why....
Norm B

I didn't work on them, just used them for our military communications off
Adak Island in the Aluetian chain of Alaska back in 70-72. One of the sand
crabs (military term for a highly paid civilian) who worked there was a
member of the ham club at the Naval Communications Station, and he arranged
a "techie" tour for us, after all the security clearance paperwork exchanged
hands. I was impressed by the dummy load cooled by some kind of antifreeze
and pumps if my memory is correct. I was back on Adak in 84-86 and White
Alice had been completely torn down and the old site was a popular "parking
spot" for the local teen agers. Adak is in native Indian hands these days.
73
Doug K7ABX

"MazingTree" wrote in
k:

The one thing I would say here in the UK is that no-one in the Marine
industry appears to let on that you can buy a cheap meter and test
your own set. The best advice I got from UK electronics dealers, is
that if you bring in the set, we can test it for £20, then if it's not
the set, we come out and test it, but that was an opene ended price. I
guess they have to make a living! I also suppose that's why I came
to a newgroup.


Same as here, but maybe we're a little more "enlightened", for some unknown
reason.

Just keep shipping those wonderful ales I love....thanks...(c;

One thing I had to apologize for is TEA. There were two RAF pilots who had
been guarding the skies over Charleston after 9/11 sitting in a restaurant
I was in, drinking hot tea. I thanked them for what they were doing for us
and profusely apologized for the terrible tea they were being forced to
drink in our country. Had a great time talking to them after that....

Would that have been the AN/TRC-80? Shaw AFB used to have one setup across
the runway back in the 70s. BIG microwave dish, pointed at the horizon
only a few feet off the ground. I used to tell the neighbors that thing
was the reason their TV was always tore up.....NOT my ham radio station. I
wasn't the one running MEGAWATTS in the neighborhood....(c; I've tried to
post one to alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean but it's been kinda spotty
of late...

73 DE W4CSC


"Doug" wrote in
k.net:

I didn't work on them, just used them for our military communications
off Adak Island in the Aluetian chain of Alaska back in 70-72. One of
the sand crabs (military term for a highly paid civilian) who worked
there was a member of the ham club at the Naval Communications
Station, and he arranged a "techie" tour for us, after all the
security clearance paperwork exchanged hands. I was impressed by the
dummy load cooled by some kind of antifreeze and pumps if my memory is
correct. I was back on Adak in 84-86 and White Alice had been
completely torn down and the old site was a popular "parking spot" for
the local teen agers. Adak is in native Indian hands these days. 73
Doug K7ABX

In article et,
"Doug" wrote:

"krj" wrote in message
. ..
Me wrote:
In article ,
krj wrote:


Used my VHF for a 1300 nm contact today.
krj


Can you say "Troposhperic Ducting", with a straight face???


Me
Can you say satellite communications?
krj

Twenty years ago I used a 2 meter ham handheld running 1 watt to talk from
Portland, OR to China...it was via repeaters in the pacific NW intertie and
then commercial (Boeing Aviation?) satellite link from Seattle to China and
back out on a ham repeater. I must admit it surprised me greatly at first,
but then I figured out what was going on.
Troposcatter? Ionized meteor trails? Tropoducting? Aurora bounce? All of the
these can result in long distance VHF marine communications but none last
for long or occur very often.
Tropscatter should remind Bruce in AK of the old White Alice systems up
there.

73
Doug K7ABX



Yep, but those systems can't work today as the fequencies used then, are
in the Cellular Band now. Can you imagine a 40Kw 20 Mhz wide cellular
singals, with 90 Ft parabolic antennas on each end, and this was all
before transistors.

Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

Larry W4CSC wrote:
"MazingTree" wrote in
k:

The one thing I would say here in the UK is that no-one in the Marine
industry appears to let on that you can buy a cheap meter and test
your own set. The best advice I got from UK electronics dealers, is
that if you bring in the set, we can test it for £20, then if it's
not the set, we come out and test it, but that was an opene ended
price. I guess they have to make a living! I also suppose that's
why I came to a newgroup.


Same as here, but maybe we're a little more "enlightened", for some
unknown reason.

Just keep shipping those wonderful ales I love....thanks...(c;

One thing I had to apologize for is TEA. There were two RAF pilots
who had been guarding the skies over Charleston after 9/11 sitting in
a restaurant I was in, drinking hot tea. I thanked them for what
they were doing for us and profusely apologized for the terrible tea
they were being forced to drink in our country. Had a great time
talking to them after that....

Your teabags are great for scaring away the gulls. That bit of string is SO
useful for hanging them from the boom.

In the UK we think that tea bought in a teabag is usually sweepings from the
blending room floor, but we still drink the stuff!

Dennis.

"Dennis Pogson" wrote in
:

In the UK we think that tea bought in a teabag is usually sweepings
from the blending room floor, but we still drink the stuff!

Dennis.



In Boston, we shoveled the good tea overboard.....remember?...(c;

--
Larry

You know you've had a rough night when you wake up and your outlined in
chalk.

I replaced the old antenna, which when looked at up the mast appeared to be
a quire weathered, and had some corrosion. The connector appeared very good
though still, so I reckoned the cable would be OK still.

The new antenna works much better and I even picked up Guernsey radio from
Plymouth sound Breakwater, which has to be about 80 Miles! Not sure I would
have been able to call them back mind!!
Comms to friends this weekend has been what I would expect from a standard
25W VHF, so looks like it was the Antenna.

Thanks for everyones help in this matter.

John

"MazingTree" wrote in message
.uk...
Many thanks for the comprehensive replies here,
Checking them out now!

I have also spotted something called and AV-40 Avair, which also looks
like
it might do the trick, and seems available over here.

John



"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
"MazingTree" wrote in
.uk:

Would have the URL for Waste Marine, I can't see this listed in
Google?
I wonder if you have a typo, it seems an odd name for a company
selling
marine equipment :-)



Shakespeare manufactures marine antennas in the US. Go to Google and
search for:

Shakespeare ART-2 Antenna Radio Tester

There are lots of dealers. I looked at Shakespeare's website and see
they
have a new model out, the ART-3, but have never seen one. The ART-2 has
been out for many years. It's all you need.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Shakespeare+ART-
2+Antenna+Radio+Tester&btnG=Google+Search

The PDF catalog is at:
http://www.shakespeare-marine.com/catalog/fullline.pdf
Click on "Radio Accessories" in the control panel of the Adobe Acrobat
Reader. It's the 2nd unit down on the left.

"MazingTree" wrote in
.uk:

Thanks for everyones help in this matter.

John


Glad it's fixed, John. Sail safe.

--
Larry

You know you've had a rough night when you wake up and your outlined in
chalk.