My name is Geoff Haines, my call sign is N1GY, and I have been an amateur radio operator since 1992. I was licensed initially
as a Tech Plus, (N1LGI) and over the years I have upgraded as the spirit moved me until I attained the Extra rating in 2005.
I am a member of five amateur radio clubs plus the ARRL and the West Central Florida Section of the ARRL. I am currently
the President of The Manatee Amateur Radio Club Inc.
Occasionally I write an article for QST Magazine, more frequently I write for a web-based publication called "The Experimenter".
This is a web-zine put out quarterly by the Technical Specialist Group of the WCF. I am it's editor and coincidentally I am
also the Technical Coordinator for the Section.
I enjoy homebrewing those little gadgets for the ham shack like mic selectors and foot switches. I also enjoy constructing
antennas in order to solve the needs of my particular situation. I write about these gadgets and antennas frequently and some
of these articles wind up in QST or The Experimenter. They will also wind up on these pages as time and skills permit.
On this web site, as my comfort level with building the site grows, I will add articles and links to other ham-related
pages.
I do notice that to properly view some of these pages, you will have to maximize the window in your browser.
I do not understand why this is so, it appears to be just the way Site Builder works.
My purpose is to develop a resource for those hams who are intrigued by DIY amateur radio, but do not want to get
into a major project right off the bat. "Walk before you run" is a good way to approach homebrewing electronic devices. I
want to help other electronically challenged hams like myself to get comfortable with this wonderful hobby.
I have also begun to form a "blog" of sorts. As I think of some subject that I want to make a short comment about,
whether it be something new on the site, or something of import elsewhere, I will make an "UPDATE" to this home page. The
latest "UPDATE" will appear at the top of the "LATEST UPDATES" text below.
LATEST UPDATES FROM N1GY'S RADIO ROOM
UPDATED 11/17/08
This past weekend (11/15 - 11/16) two very nice things happened to me. My wife arranged a birthday party for
my 66th birthday and I was elected a Director of the West Central Florida Group Inc. The former was attended by several of
my grandchildren and their parents, a situation that always brings a smile to my face, and the latter was, while not totally
unexpected, still a very happy and humbling experience. I have been an ardent supporter of the NI4CE repeater system here
in West Central Florida ever since it's inception. To now have a hand in it's operation (however small) is to me a great honor.
The WCFG owns and operates a nine repeater linked system that covers a huge swath of Central Florida. It provides a reliable way
for 12 to 15 county emergency operation centers to stay linked together in time of severe weather or other disaster. During
more peaceful periods it allows the amateur radio operators of West Central Florida to remain in close contact even when separated
by many miles. The various daily and weekly nets on the NI4CE system provide information on many things:
Upcoming events within and outside the ARRL Section - Info Net,
Status and operating tips for Satellite Ops - AMSAT Florida Net,
NTS traffic handling both in and out of the Section - Eagle Net,
Assistance with technical or operational questions for both new and
experienced hams - Tech Net
Information and training for ARES - ARES EC net,
Social and interactive on air activities - QCWA Net and YL Net.
Trading activities - Traders Net.
If you have any questions about the system, please feel free to email me via this web site.
73
UPDATED 10/18/08
Well, my article about a wireless PTT switch for my car came out in QST recently and I must appologize for a
major error in the text. I assumed that the model designation on the enclosure of the receiver module in the article was correct.
It was not! The correct model for the receiver module is a Multi-code 1099-50 not the Delta-3. The enclosures are identical
except for the label, only the internal circuit board and components are different. If you are planning to duplicate this
project, please order the correct units. Again the correct transmitter is the Multicode 3070 and the correct receiver module
is the Multicode 1099-50. I am very sorry for the error, apparently the enclosure was switched long before I obtained it and
I went with what was marked on the label when I should have done a little more checking.
I will not let this happen again.
73
UPDATED 10/10/08
I have added a link on my Links Page to the web site of Chuck, W4CLL. Among the many fine things on his site,
you will find instructions on how to prevent the WIRES function from being accidentally activated on several Yaesu radios.
This is a frequent occurence with the radios listed and the tone burst that accompanies every push of the PTT wipes out the
first several words spoken by the operator. Since WIRES has never really had a large group of users in the US, it thus makes
sense to prevent the accidental activation that troubles many new users of the equipment. See Chuck's web site for the details.
UPDATED 10/06/08
My latest column is now up on NewsSarasota.com, this time a short plug for homebrewing (otherwise known as DIY
ham radio). You can find the link to my monthly column on my links page. Homebrewing accessories for amateur radio does not
take a lot of skill, just the willingness to follow directions and pay attention to the details. As I note in the column,
there are literally thousands of simple DIY projects for amateur radio on the internet, just plug the name of the device into
your web browser and click "search". It really is more fun when you can say "I built it myself".
UPDATED 9/13/08
I have downloaded a new toolbar for Internet Explorer developed by John, G0DPC called "Ham Info Bar". It plugs
right into the usual IE toolbar at the top of the screen and has so many great features that I can only say "Try it, you will
love it". The link to the download site is on my LINKS page. Thanks John, for a truly great idea.
73
UPDATED 9/11/08
While my adaptor for the Yaesu FT-817 has been tested by a ham in PA who built one from the circuit schematic
that I emailed him, the prototype that I built at the same time had not been tried. That has now been rectified. Bill, W1WAB,
a fellow Florida ham and FT-817 owner, volunteered his rig for the test. The adaptor worked perfectly right out of the box.
Not only that, but we also determined that it works perfectly with the FT-897 and the FT-857 as well. The list of compatible
transceivers just keeps growing and growing. Life is good.
73
UPDATED 9/10/08
I added a new page to the site today. "A Simple Tilt-over Mount for Mast Mounted Antennas", is a little idea
I came up with when I mounted my HF vertical antenna at my QTH. Easy and inexpensive, what more could I ask for? By the
way, the new page, like many of the pages on this site will require that you maximize the page to see all of the text. I still
haven't figured out how to correct this puzzler, maybe one of you can enlighten me as to how I can put a workable limit on
line length in "Site Builder".
E-Mail me if you can educate me on this pesky little problem.
73
UPDATED 9/5/08
I have added two more circuits for using electret mics with Yaesu rigs. The FT-817 and the FT-8000. You can find
them on the Yaesu Adapter Page, just scroll down past the ones for the FT-7800/8800 etc.
73
UPDATED 9/4/08
You have responded! The funds to repair the NI4CE 2 meter repeater at Verna have been obtained and equipment
has been or will be ordered soon. Thanks to all that gave money to the cause. The immediate need has been covered. This does
not mean that no further donations are needed, however. A repeater system this large and complex has a constant need for ongoing
support to cover mandatory expenses such as insurance, equipment, antenna repair and or replacement and many other expenses
necessary to keeping the system up and running. For that reason, I suggest that you make your donation an annual item in your
budget so that NI4CE and The West Central Florida Group can plan a comprehensive alloting of funds to their many projects
on a yearly basis. I plan to, and I hope you will too. Their Web site is: www.ni4ce.org
73
UPDATED 8/30/08
This past Thursday evening, I had the chance to renew friendships with some of the members of my old radio club,
The Meriden Amateur Radio Club. This club has been in existence since 1947 and was the club responsible for my entry into
amateur radio. It was a great evening with a lot of what I used to call "Bench Racing" when I was involved with the SCCA years
ago. I enjoyed meeting the other members and renewed my membership for another year. Great Fun, and I even won the 50/50 raffle
after the meeting. 73
UPDATED 8/19/08
The beta testing of my "earset" adaptor for the Yaesu FT-817 has been done and it works great. A ham by the name
of Dave,K1UZM inquired about the adaptor and I sent him the schematic. Dave built it and emailed me back to say that it works
"fine business" as we sometimes refer to stuff that does what it is supposed to do. As soon as I get back from this little
trip my wife and I are on, I will add the schematic to the web site along with a description of how to build one. Alternatively,
I can build one for you at the same price as the other adaptors I sell. See the headset adaptor page on this web site
for details. 73
UPDATED 7/30/08
It has come to my attention that a significant resource for amateur radio in West Central Florida is in need
of our help. The West Central Florida Group Inc., a non-profit 501 3c organization owns and operates the NI4CE repeater
system. This system covers all of West Central Florida and more. The original VHF repeater at Verna (at 1037 feet)
has suffered a catastrophic failure of the finals in the machine, reducing its power to less than a watt. The UHF side of
the repeater is fine. The VHF repeater is old (over 25 years) and parts are difficult, sometimes impossible to obtain. The
prudent course of action would be to replace it with a new repeater, but that comes at a price that is too high for the group's
budget at this time. $1700 is needed to bring the repeater back to full power with a new and fully functional machine. There
are many many hams who make daily (if not hourly) use of NI4CE. I ask you as a fellow ham to donate what you can to
this effort now, before the worst part of Hurricane Season arrives. The group has full details on their web site www.ni4ce.org as to where and how you can donate to be a part of the solution to this vexing problem. Please be as generous
as you are able. This group, that provides so much to the area with the wide coverage of the repeater system, is
in need of our support. Let's show our support with a check as well as a check-in.
UPDATED 7/24/08
I am currently beta testing a cellular earset adapter for the Yaesu FT-817 series of radios. It will look similar
to the Icom IC-706/703 series adapter, but the circuit is modified to work with the FT-817. Keep an eye on this site for the
results of our tests.
UPDATED 7/20/08
I received several emails from a vendor of soldering tools and from his friends, excoriating me and QST because
his products were not included in my evaluation. Just so you know, I had virtually nothing to do with the selection of
tools sent to me to evaluate. Another email took me to task for using some of these tools to do soldering of copper tubing
as one might do if one were building an antenna. Let me just make the record clear. I do not and did not recommend these tools
for that job as a first choice. I merely wanted to demonstrate that if the need was there, that these propane powered tools
could do the job if required. I am just an average ham, I claim no special expertise in anything amateur radio related. I
figure, if I can do something, then anybody can, and probably better. That said, I did visit this vendor's site and noted
that several of the propane powered soldering tools he sells look very similar to the units I tested, with the notable exception
of the label. Thus, I am confident that I have tested a reasonable sampling of the available gear. Where you
get your soldering tools from, and who's label appears on it, I leave to you. I usually get my tools from
the local home improvement or electronics store. Sometimes I even check the local "dollar" store for bargains. Often, I find
just what I am looking for.
UPDATED 7/11/08
Over the past few days, I have added several new pages and added some links to the LINKS page. My review of propane
powered soldering tools is in the August QST so keep an eye out for it. I am getting much more comfortable with working on
this web site builder so look for new stuff to be added frequently.
UPDATED 6/21/08
After I got some good advice from a visitor to my web site, Dave, KC8PBV, I downloaded a program to decrease
the size (in bytes or more properly megabytes) of the photographs on the site. This program has now been used and you should
see that the illustrations load much faster. A side benefit is that I now have much more storage space available on the site
so you can expect more new articles to show up here soon. Many thanks to the Dave for the suggestion. The process took
a few hours to accomplish, but it was well worth it.
UPDATED 6/10/08 CELLPHONE EARSET ADAPTERS FOR SALE!!!
I have decided to offer a few of the cellular universal earset adaptors for sale. These will come complete with
a brand new cellular universal earset with the addition of a mic windscreen and a new ear cushion in addition to the adapter/ptt
switch. If you give me the make and model of the radio you wish to use it on, it will be ready to plug in and use. At the
moment, I can build them for the Icom IC-706 series, The Yaesu FT-7800, 8800 and 8900 series, and some units by Alinco. They
will work with any radio using an electret mic. I may need you to send the pin-out diagram for your radio if it is not in
the above list. The price will be $44.95 plus shipping per unit. I have been using these "earsets" and adapters for more than
a year now and I run about 5 to 6 nets a week. They are very comfortable, do not get in your way, and work just
as well as the expensive headsets from the mic guru out west, at less than half the price. The units I build do not come with
UP/DN buttons or the like, just a simple PTT and great audio, by all reports. This is not an attempt to create another ham
radio supplier, just a ham who has had many requests from other hams to build these adapters for those without the time to
do it themselves. E-mail me for more information.
UPDATED 5/28/08
I have finally gone and done it! This web site now has its own Domain Name! One can still get to my web site
via the original URL, but it can also be accessed by using "n1gy.com". Either one will work. I felt that as the readership
of the site has grown, it would be much easier to tell viewers to go to n1gy.com rather than mysite.verizon.net/cpthaines.
It will also take up much less space on my business cards and the like.
UPDATED 5/28/08
I have been writing a weekly column for an on-line news site called "News Sarasota". Recently, due
to the pressures of the many activities I am involved in, the publisher and I both agreed to change the frequency of the column
to a monthly schedule. Many thanks to the publisher of "News Sarasota" for giving amateur radio an online media
presence here on the Suncoast of Florida. The Links Page of this site now has a hot link to connect to my column.
If a club or other amateur radio group wishes to use any of my column for their local newsletter please email me through the
"Contact Me" page on this site and let me know. I will be happy to consider your request.
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