Dumpster

Check out the Adirondack Mountains!! Easy Does It

What your friend used was an SWR meter. (Standing Wave Ratio). What it does, is measure the forward power (the power going up the transmission line) in one mode and the reflected power (coming back down the line) in the other mode. That little switch switches between the two. It should have two markings one for FWD and one REF. If one is rubbed off, no biggie. When an antenna is out-of-tune (I won't get into a bunch of theory-) it doesn't radiate, and the radio waves "stand" on the transmission line. They just don't have a place to go. So this power just sits there and in a bad mismatch they can go back and fry the finals in your radio. So the better things are tuned up, more power gets into the air, and the better others can hear your signal. And you radios' finals last alot longer, too. So, hook up the SWR meter in line with the antenna, put the switch in the FWD posistion, and key your mike. The needle should give you a good swing. Without looking at the meter you have, I can't say if the meter has multiple power settings. If it's a typical consumer CB rig it probably doesn't put out more that 5 watts. Use that little knob to get a full-scale reading (or as high a reading as possible) There may be a FWD and a REF scale on the meter face. Now, unkey the mike and switch to the REF mode. Key it again - If you see a big swing, your antenna is out of tune. If it swings just a little or not at all, you should be OK. Many antennas can be easily tuned, but since we don't have a description, I can't offer any advise on that. If you can describe things in more detail, we might be able to help you there. If it's a new antenna, there should be directions on tuning it. Some antennas though aren't tunable. (as with alot of "top-loaded" antennas-) Basically you are looking for a lots of needle movement in FWD- (Lots of power going up the line to the antenna-) and little needle movement (Very little power coming back down) to make things ideal. This is measured in a ratio, and ideal is 1.5 : 1 or less. 1 to 1 is considered a perfect match. Other things to pay attention to to get better peformance - Grounding! Make sure your antenna and you radio are well grounded to the frame. At some point the antenna feedline shield (the braid on the outside of the coax-) should be grounded also. (usually at the antenna base some where-) Make sure all your connections are clean and tight and protected from the weather. CB's work with reletively low power so these little things add up!! Let me know if this helps! -Lenny Easy Does It

I myself used a combination of motivators. 1. - Financial - I quit and saved enough money to buy a motorcycle. Now that the bike is paid off, not smoking pays for jump tickets. 2. Health reasons. 'nuff said. 3. Zyban. Better living through modern chemistry. 4. Social. Smokers smell unpleasant, like BO only worse. Kissing some one who smokes sucks. (when you're a non-smoker, any way - ) I have some suffering to do because my wife is a smoker - (we got married before I quit) Can't stand riding in her car because it reeks and has ashes all over the place - Yuck! 5. It's just not cool anymore. My two cents !!!! Easy Does It

So OK - My son (12) was down from Anchorage for three weeks while his sister (17) who lives with me went up there. He's on the phone about a week and a half into his visit talking to his sister in Anchorage - I hear him - "Has Dad always been this weird?" I almost blew a sandwich out my nose laughing! Later I got her reply - "Yes, it took you 12 years to figure that out?" Easy Does It

My job is pretty good for the most part - I'm an industrial maintenance technician. The pay is decent. I get to do what I've enjoyed doing since I was a little kid and learned how to take things apart. Except now I have an awesome set of tools and a great shop to work in, and I can pretty much run things the way I want. Hassle is the people I sometimes work with have high powered degrees in far-out sciences engineering fields and have a tendency to talk down to me because "He's just a mechanic". So I just build it the way they want it, watch it break, then repair it the right way. If nothing else it's job security. I think the more edumacation gets pumped into a brain, the more common sense gets pumped out. "hey - this system is going to be running at around 1800 PSI - We're gonna need more than just a couple of quater-inch bolts holdin' this cover on -" The other shitty part is when I get a call from Production, a machine is down, and I go out to find it in pieces (obviously taken apart my some ham-fisted person just trying to help or what ever-) and get "It just came apart like this" or "I found it this way" from the guy - "Really? What's that hammer doing over here then?" Again - Job security! Boss? what boss? EVERYBODY is my boss! Then there's that guy I see once a week who approves my time card - - Easy Does It

My main reason for setting a reserve is this kind of stuff is specialzed, and I don't want to hose myself. I don't think the reserve I've set is unreasonable at all. but there is a minimum I can let this stuff go for and that's what I've set for a reserve. I just didn't think it was cool for the guy to ask, so I declined to tell him. Maybe after the auction closes and if it doesn't sell I'll tak to him about a private sale? Easy Does It

Question for y'all - I'm selling some of unused Ham radio gear on Ebay. I get a few technical questions here and there, then some one emails me and asks the reserve price, and didn't give a reason why. I've been curious myself when bidding on stuff, but never asked becuase I felt it unethical, if the reserve price was to be known it would be on the listing, eh? Anyhow, I politely declined to tell him. Anybody else have this happen? How did you respond? Easy Does It

I have to agree. It's overrated. I'll take a pass. Easy Does It

mmm - Missing the clear plexiglas door - Gotta take that big hatch off of there, and get a camera step installed. All those seats are pretty useless, too.

Partying and jumping with a few thousand of my closest friends! Easy Does It

I'm interested in hearing the other side, also. Thanks! Easy Does It

Kudos to Jenny from this kid, too. My main RW suit is a Zute Sute and I just purchased one for my daughter Sarah. You won't go wrong! Easy Does It

I've got XP Pro at work and have had no real problems associated with XP itself. Way better than 98, too. Easy Does It

I quit wearing a watch a long time ago - Being a mechanic, it only gets in the way and I was really good at destroying them in short order. I own two, (cheapies) but they've set in my top dresser drawer for so long the batteries went dead. I wouldn't mind having one to wear for nice, though. Easy Does It

Only one thing to do - Permanant Vacation. Go on World Tour and jump at every DZ in the free world. Then open up my own. Easy Does It

Dropzone trash - Easy Does It

Oh hell yeah - Happens all the time. I still jump as often as I can. Makes the dreams go away. (The bad ones, anyway - ) Relax, have fun, be safe! Easy Does It

Yep - I have to make sure people keep in mind she's ONLY SEVENTEEN! I did promise she could go to Rantoul with me when she's 18 though. Easy Does It

Congrats! My daughter Sarah just completed AFF just before her 17th birthday (June 21st) and she's logged about 11-12 jumps so far. I did my first jump with her this past weekend. She packs and works Manifest to pay for jumps and we'll be helping her save money to buy gear. I'm really proud!! Did your girl have any tunnel time prior to jumping? Sarah had about an hour and half. Nice pics, btw!! Edited to add - Instead of beers, Sarah bakes brownies and/or chocolate chip cookies!! (She has alot of baking to do before the next club meeting!!!) Easy Does It

0:5:2 Five jumps, including my first (BEER!)working coach jump, and first (Beer!) jump with my daughter Sarah - Did a jump with her working on fallrate. One more jump for her and she's off student status and working towards her A license. Beautiful weather both days this weekend, albeit a little breezy Sunday. Life is good!! Easy Does It

Go jump already!!!!! Easy Does It

I'm at WORK!! But only for a couple more hours - THEN I'm off to the DZ!!! WooHoo!! Easy Does It

Most of the time I pack myself, unless my daughter Sarah feels like packing for me and I put $$ on her account. (In addition tp paying for most of her AFF course, but I digress - ) Easy Does It

Dude I dig your signature line!

Don't know if there is an offcial record--Maybe we're into something new here? Easy Does It