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Posts Made By: Jim Carpenter

June 25, 2007 07:31 PM Forum: Ham and Shortwave Radio

Field Day!

Posted By Jim Carpenter
How'd she do, David? I haven't participated in Field Day for several years, but many years ago (1979) my friend Harvey, K5DDJ, and I won the CQ Magazine Milliwatt Field Day Award using my old TenTec Argonaut 509 and the driven element of Harvey's triband beam configured as a rotatable dipole.

Jim WD5BKO

July 2, 2007 10:47 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Grab&Go completed

Posted By Jim Carpenter
Floyd,
I like that folding tray. I may just have to give that a try to beef up my Bogen 3001 and actually make it usable as a telescope support. Thanks for the great idea.

Jim

July 5, 2007 02:11 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

MEADE 12"LX90GPS

Posted By Jim Carpenter
Alvaro,
Here is one possible solution: http://jimsmobile.com/buy_wheeley_bars.htm

Jim
(I'm not the Jim in Jim's Mobile, Inc.)

November 14, 2007 11:59 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

New Mount

Posted By Jim Carpenter
Here's a review: http://www.stevenstanek.com/Science/ioptron_review/

I tried one and decided it had too many cons and not enough pros for my needs. YMMV.

Jim

December 20, 2007 04:47 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Spotter on UA mount?

Posted By Jim Carpenter
Ken,
Talk to Larry at UA. I believe he sells one or more binocular adapters for his mounts that would be suitable for your spotting scope.

Jim

February 5, 2008 02:25 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Williams optics problem

Posted By Jim Carpenter
Bob,
Check and see if there is a recessed Allen (hex) head screw right behind the focus lock knob. If so, that's probably the tension adjustment. Get an appropriate allen wrench and try turning that screw a quarter turn or so at a time and see if that makes a difference.

Jim

March 9, 2008 11:54 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Power supply GPDX

Posted By Jim Carpenter
David,
I've had very good luck using Astron 12 VDC power supplies for my amateur radio equipment over the past several years. They are well regulated, and come in a variety of ratings from 4 amp/hr to well over 50-60 amp/hrs (not that you'd need the latter). You can also get them in linear (transformer-based) or switching types (like a computer power supply). The linear power supplies are heavier because of the weight of the transformer, but I prefer them for use with electronics because they generate less electronic "noise" than switching supplies. A 4-amp/hr Astron is ~$40 from either of the two major national ham radio vendors (Amateur Electronic Supply www.aeshame.com and Ham Radio Outlet www.hamradio.com). I would suggest getting at least a 7-amp/hr unit, or possibly a 10 or 12-amp/hr to have the capacity for future needs such as dew heaters, etc. Either of these vendors also sell nifty power distribution strips which can be used with any 12 VDC power supply and which provide individual plugs or binding posts for several pieces of 12 VDC equipment.

I would avoid the blocky wall-wart type power supplies or adapters which plug directly into a 110V outlet because they are seldom regulated, plus they typically max out at around 500 mA (1/2 amp).

Jim

April 14, 2008 03:37 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Mounts and Weatherproofing

Posted By Jim Carpenter
Kevin,
If the climate in your area is damp, or the prevailing relative humidity high, the "wetness" you're seeing on the mount could be condensation. I don't think the Telegizmos covers are designed for long term, day in/day out continuous use. They do a good job of keeping moisture out for the type of short-term use they're intended for, but the converse of that is that they do a good job of keeping it in as well. You might try putting a light bulb, like a mechanic's trouble light, inside the cover with the mount and see if that little bit of heat will keep moisture from condensing on the mount. Be sure it's an incandescent bulb (60w or so) -- fluorescents don't generate enough heat. Not the "greenest" solution, but it's worth a try.

Jim

April 28, 2008 03:19 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Mom's day camera vs. crusty Nikon 995

Posted By Jim Carpenter
Greg,

The Canon A-series P&S cameras are quite good for what they are. They produce very good images in the full auto mode, plus allow a reasonable amount of flexibility in aperture priority and shutter priority modes for those that like to have a little more control over their exposures. I have an A520 and that little pocket cam gets far more use than either my Nikon DSLR or my CP990 -- mainly because it fits in my pocket and goes a lot more places than either of the others. I carry an extra set of rechargeable NiMH batteries and a spare 1 gig SD card with it.

Your 995 is very similar to my 990, and that series of cameras has some unique features that make them worth hanging on to despite the fact that they are "clunkers" by today's standards. The twisting body is one feature, but I really appreciate the fact that you can buy an eyepiece that screws directly to the camera lens for digiscoping -- no clunky adapters required. I have a WO 28mm EP that's made just for this purpose with 28mm threads behind the eyecup that screw right on to the camera.

Also, for comparing cameras, the best site I've found is DP Reviews http://dpreview.com/ Spend a little time poking around the myriad of features that site has (reviews, side-by-side comparisons, numerous forums, etc.) It's become my primary resource for information on digital cameras.

Jim

September 19, 2008 04:20 PM Forum: Ham and Shortwave Radio

On Topic?

Posted By Jim Carpenter
I assume you mean the classifieds here on Astromart. Is there a specific ad you're referring to? There's been a lot of ads for test equipment lately, but I would consider those ham radio related. There have also been a lot of ads for general coverage and SW receivers, but I consider them on topic since the ad category is "Ham and Short Wave Radios."

Jim
WD5BKO

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