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ZL3AI > APRDIG 18.10.03 13:59l 252 Lines 9976 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: TAPR Digest, Oct 16, 2/3
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From: ZL3AI@ZL3VML.#80.NZL.OC
To : APRDIG@WW
Subject: Balloon Information
From: "Jonathan Reid" <jonathan@jer.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 22:09:25 -0400
X-Message-Number: 9
I've read with great interest on recent posts of unmanned balloons, and I am
curious to know if there is any suppliers or catalogs that someone who is
interested in building a balloon can start. Is there an online FAQ or
"getting started" reference that someone can point me to?
Thanks,
Jonathan Reid, KG4UAM
Cayce, SC
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Subject: Re: Anderson Power Poles
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@3xf.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 19:20:44 -0700
X-Message-Number: 10
>I suppose for swapping rigs from ham to ham this might be handy however, if
>there is a disaster and I ask a ham to jump in a water truck to be that
>trucks communications, how is this standard going to help me? How is this
Besides having APPs on my gear and power supplies, I've also got APP cables
made up with cigarette lighter plugs, jumper cable type alligator clips, and
9v-style clips that connect to Radio Shack 12v AA battery packs for lower
power stuff. No need to do custom cables in the field for common setups,
and I can mix and match whatever I need. And still interoperate with
everyone else.
Scott
N1VG
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Subject: Re: Anderson Power Poles
From: David VanHorn <dvanhorn@cedar.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:33:34 -0500
X-Message-Number: 11
At 02:36 PM 10/16/2003 -0400, Randy Allen wrote:
>ALMOST all of the references I've found have when viewed from the contact
>side (opposite the wiring side) with tongue down and hood up, the RED is
>on the LEFT and the BLACK is on the RIGHT. This is the configuration
>adopted by Ohio District 3 ARES. You can see a graphic on our web site at:
>http://www.qsl.net/ohd3ares/equip.htm#APP
This is the same as OCRACES, which is what we're using here.
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Subject: Re: Anderson Power Poles
From: "Daron J. Wilson" <daron@wilson.org>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 19:39:07 -0700
X-Message-Number: 12
>How did this standard or any standard for a power connector Emergency
>Services come to be?
Standards generally come along when a group of affected people decide to
choose one solution over others. Standards are designed to allow
interoperability. In fact, your message complaining about standards
used many standards to get to all the people it did, without which, we
would not have been able to get your valuable opinion.
>I have not followed this concept and I am having a
>real hard time understanding why such a standard needs to be.
Again the standard is to assist in interoperability. I'm not so sure it
is extremely essential to operations, but certainly beneficial in the
long run.
>Other than for ham to ham swaps or fixed locations, how is this standard
>going to help?
>I suppose for swapping rigs from ham to ham this might be handy however, if
>there is a disaster and I ask a ham to jump in a water truck to be that
>trucks communications, how is this standard going to help me? How is this
>standard going to help the ham that got stuck in the water truck....or any
>other vehicle that ham communcations may be placed?
Interesting scenario, and a realistic one. Given that assignment, I'd
take one of the pigtails out of my kit:
12" pigtail for blade fuses
12" pigtail for glass fuses
12" pigtail with big alligator clips
12" pigtail with cigarette lighter plug
12" pigtail with ring terminals
12" pigtail with bare wire
and attach it to the best choice for power. Of course on the other end
of that pigtail are power pole connectors. To that I attach an
extension cable of whatever length fits the installation and I am in
business. Next shift if they pull me out and send me somewhere else,
replacing me with just an APRS tracker, go figure. Plug and play
(assuming the standard). If another team member gets sent to replace
me, 15 second power switch and I have my radio back. Need to add
another radio or something? A quick plug and play wye or 4 way splitter
gets things going quickly.
>I surely hope that Hams are far more prepared than that of a power connector
>standard to;
>1. Adapt to any given situation to power your rig.
>2. Improvise any possible way to connect your rig to power.
>3. Overcome any obsticle that may be in the way of powering your rig.
My powerpole kit does all that, and I don't need chewing gum and tape to
make it work.
>A. Do 'you' have an emergency power kit? What's in it?
Oh yeah, I do this for a living so my work van is extremely deep in
product and tools. My emergency kit is very well stocked and I'm quite
well prepared. I've cheated in so many ways when needed to get power,
and it worked. Let me say, however, a large number of the new hams
coming in are less than technically savvy. (sorry, my experience only)
Honestly, some of these folks really have no business under the hood or
dashboard of someone else's vehicle with a pair of side cutters and a
roll of tape. Assuming they show up and offer to help, it is my hope
that the 'standard' we provide makes this system almost fool proof for
them. I hate it, I think it is completely wrong that people of this
caliber have a license, but it's reality.
>I do not see how on earth having a standard on a power connector is going to
>solve a typical everyday power situation. devices.
>I run around powering things all the time in emergency situations. I'd much
>rather have a wire I can strip, clamp and insulate, rather than worry about
>not having the right connector. Lord knows I never seem to have the right
>breakers!
Yeah...well strip, crimp, tape, and melt all ya want. I suppose you
just do that around the house huh? No need for a 'standard' plug for
120vac, what a waste. Oh sure, you could make all the battery terminals
the same size, but what practical use would that serve?
>I think that this standard needs to include all thinkable possibilities and
>hams should have the gear to connect to power any way they can, in very
>short notice. To prove my point...just go to your neighbor with your radio
>in your hand and hook your radio up in their car and working, in less than
>10 minutes.
Piece of cake with my kit AND powerpoles. And guess what, the next 20
hams can use the same pigtail and hook up their rigs too without
stripping, crimping, taping, melting, etc. In fact, I can pull my rig
out and put it back very quickly if needed the next day.
>Because you are hams, you might be asked to hook up a bunch of radios....not
>necessarily yours and not necessarily
>ham radios. You ready?
You bet, damn ready. And equally important, I don't have to redo every
persons setup when we deploy our group and move around.
Personally I don't think any other solution offers 30 amp sexless couplings
in a simple, easy to use form. The point of accepting a standard is so
that we can be as prepared as possible. Should everyone be able to cut
whatever end off and splice something else on? Yup. Should everyone be able
to cut off the PL-259 and put an "N" connector on? You bet. Can everyone
do that kind of technical work reliabley? Not at all. The better prepared
we are, the more productive we will be. I'll cut and splice and fix
whatever I need to, but if I can avoid that waste of time, I'm ahead of the
game.
Good Luck!
N7HQR
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Subject: Re: Anderson Power Poles
From: David VanHorn <dvanhorn@cedar.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:42:17 -0500
X-Message-Number: 13
>How did this standard or any standard for a power connector Emergency
>Services come to be? I have not followed this concept and I am having a
>real hard time understanding why such a standard needs to be.
>Other than for ham to ham swaps or fixed locations, how is this standard
>going to help?
My focus for using the OCRACES powerpole standard, is to easily move rigs
around. My SSTV and APRS stations can easily be dismounted from the car,
and be turned into a reasonably rugged separate VHF station, with
batteries, or split down further into two independent VHF stations. Either
of these identical stations can replace any of the VHF rigs at the EOC, or
any other location in our system.
>A. Do 'you' have an emergency power kit? What's in it?
> a. Wire
> b. Wire Nuts
Got
> c. Wire Clamps
Not sure what you mean
> d. Electrical tape, various colors
> e. crimp connectors
Yup
> f. clamping connectors (J-clamps)
Not sure what this is either
> g. allegator clips and clamps
> h. Wire strippers,cutters
> i. Crimping tools
> j. fuses
Yup
> k. clamp tools - pliers, cresent wrench, screw drivers
> l. Battery clamps, various types
You mean like for a car battery? If so, Yup.
Also powerpole extension cables, powerpole to clips, powerpole to cig
lighter in both sexes, and cig lighter splitters, and a couple small AC
inverters.
Also RF adaptors for BNC, PL/SO239, and N connectors.
Also spare mag-mount VHF antennas. They aren't wonderful, but if you're
asking me for one, they're better than yours. :)
>I do not see how on earth having a standard on a power connector is going to
>solve a typical everyday power situation. devices.
>I run around powering things all the time in emergency situations. I'd much
>rather have a wire I can strip, clamp and insulate, rather than worry about
>not having the right connector. Lord knows I never seem to have the right
>breakers!
It needs to be pervasive. I also have a 12V solder iron (powerpoled of
course) and solder, for powerpoling anything that needs it. I prefer not
to crimp, I don't trust crimps, and I can't re-use a crimped connector.
> You ready?
I may qualify..
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