Modifying Yaesu FT-817 To Work On 60 Meters

Modifying Yaesu FT-817 To Work On 60 Meters

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Following is a story of how I found a solution to make my very old Yaesu FT-817 work on 60 meters.  If you have the Yaesu FT-817ND there is no need to modify the radio as it is designed to include 60 meters! This process of modifying the older Yaesu FT-817 is quite difficult.  I do NOT recommend you attempting this for a few really good reasons.  I was told by a former Yaesu repair person that this radio has undergone changes and it is likely you will find a solder point solution that pretends to work for your radio as describe on the Internet but it might NOT work for your radio.  Yaesu technical support has a cheat sheet showing them radio serial numbers and how they correspond to the manufactured electronics.  This tells me that there are probably different versions of the FT-817 and possibly different solder point switch solutions.  Also, you really need to know how to solder.  You need the correct tools and know how to use them.  The desoldering and soldering of the switch points is in very tight space making the task rather difficult.  Also, the process of uploading frequencies into the radio is a bit tricky in that you will get RT software error messages and you need to know how to solve each error.

I have had a Yaesu FT-817 ham radio for a very long time and have never seen the need to use it until now.  I participated in a local county Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) Zoom meeting where I had report to our city RACES group what took place during that meeting.  A part of that Zoom meeting covered a ham band I had never heard of before, that being, 60 meters.  I began to research this band and found out that it was created in 2002.  I then found out that there was a weekly check in for operators from each city who would use their 60 meter radios and reply to the county RACES operator when they asked if there were any stations for their city.  I then found out that our city was not on the list for cities that had checked in.  I have a lot of ham radios and I looked around and discovered that the ONLY 60 meter radio I had was a Yaesu FT-817 but it was not expected to work on 60 meters until you found a way to modify it.  I pulled the radio out from storage and tired it out.  This radio is low power, called a QRP, or reduced power radio.  I then went to Ham Radio Outlet and purchased software for the radio so I could program frequencies into it.

www.rtsystemsinc.com

YAESU ADMS-4A-USB, which was labeled as “Advanced Data Management System for the Yaesu FT-817/817D”.  I really like RT system software.  I was really pleased to discover this software was available for the Mac computer.  I then created a list of frequencies for the radio including 60 meters.  There are some important restrictions for using this band.  One restriction is to stick to 5 frequencies:

  • 5.332 MHz. USB
  • 5.348 MHz. USB
  • 5.368 MHz. USB
  • 5.373 MHz. USB
  • 5.405 MHz. USB

I then tried to input the full list of frequencies into the radio including the 60 meter ones and then tried transmitting into my 50 ohm dummy load.  All the 2 meter and 440 frequencies worked but not the 60 meters.  I kept getting a “TX ERR” or transmit error.  The radio would not transmit.  I then started a really long investigation that took weeks using the Internet.  I had a phone conversation with a former Yaesu technical support person who warned me that the Yaesu FT-817 had a number of changes and technical support had a cheat sheet where the serial number of the radio told them which version of radio they were dealing with.  This hinted to me that maybe the solder switches might be different depending on which version of radio I had.  I even sent Yaesu technical support for some help but I was refused with this response “I am sorry but as the manufacturer of the radio we are not permitted to assist in modifying the radio.”  I discovered that there are a LOT of web sites devoted to modifying this radio.  Suddenly I got a bit lucky and found out that there are some solder point switches inside the radio that can change the capabilities of that radio.  I tried one solder point solution but that failed.

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING FAILED FOR MY RADIO. (It is reported that the solder points shown next might work on some FT-817 models.). 

(You just might want to start with this modification first and then progress to the one explained later in this post.  A possible reason for these two solutions is the radio may have gone through changes.)

To extend the HF coverage to 500kHZ per band.
Extend VHF and UHF coverage.

Should be shorted:  JP4006, JP4007, JP4008.
Should be open:  JP4004, JP4005, JP4009.
Leave all other jumpers, 1,2,3, as they are.
After making the solder switch changes and reassemble the whole radio, apply power while pressing F and V/M buttons.

This did not work for me.

A ham radio friend sent me a web site that presented a different solder switch solution, shown next.  https://www.qsl.net/bg9bl/ft817/ft817.htm.  I tried it and it worked.

Should be shorted:  JP4009, JP4008, JP4007,  JP4006.
Should be open:  JP4005, JP4004, JP4003, JP4002, JP4001.

I the image below the solder jumpers are numbered 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. as you see them below in the image.  You only know this by being shown a drawing from the Internet. They are not labeled on the circuit board.

 

FT-817 Solder Point Solution

 

Let me first show you some tips on how to open and close the radio.

  • Remove all the screws holding the case together.
  • When removing the shoulder strap put those 4 screws in a separate place as they are longer.
  • Be really careful lifting the radio cover holding the speaker because there is a speaker wire that needs to be pulled out of the circuit board carefully.
  • The radio cover that has the battery door is a pain to open.  Look carefully and you will see one screw that has a plastic piece under it.  Loosen the screw a bit and then slide that piece away from the battery door.
  • The opposite side from the slider there are door tabs fitting into the case so you need to pull the door out from these holdings.
    The door then can be removed if it is swung out from the latch.  I removed the internal battery.
  • Once both the top and bottom radio covers are removed, you next need to pull the front panel CAREFULLY from the radio.  There are really simple plastic clips holding the front piece but there is a short ribbon cable that is really tricky to deal with so be careful you do not pull on this cable.  I use my finger nails to lift up the two top and two bottom plastic clips to allow me to move the front piece away.
  • The ribbon cable that runs between the front panel and the main radio body is really tricky to disconnect.  I decided to remove the ribbon at the radio head and NOT the body.  The trick is there is a plastic latch, (the brown piece in the image below) that needs to be moved so the ribbon can be withdrawn.

Once the front panel was free, I put it into my Panavise.  I then performed the solder point connection and removal of solder to the solder switches listed below (see image above).

 

Should be shorted:  JP4009, JP4008, JP4007,  JP4006.
Should be open:  JP4005, JP4004, JP4003, JP4002, JP4001.

Once you perform the solder switch changes, put the case back together.  For me, replacing the ribbon cable was a pain.  I had to use thin nose pliers to center the cable and then use my finger nails on both sides to make sure the cable was into the connector all the way.  It really helps to use headband magnifier to see more exactly what you are doing.

Pay particular attention to replace the shoulder strap to the radio so the microphone strap holder is on the same side as the microphone connector.

Connect a 50 ohm dummy load to the radio antenna jack or attach a good working 60 meter antenna.

Connect the power cable to a good source of power.

Connect the microphone to the radio.

GET THE RADIO READY TO RECEIVE THE COMPUTER FILE

Connect the RT Software cables to your computer and the radio.
Launch the software so you can input frequencies.
The RT software also has an important menu (Settings > Radio Menu Settings).  I always connect my dummy load and antennas for 60 meters to the REAR antenna jack.  I choose “Common > Rear HF Antenna”.
Input your frequency list into that software.  I have found two different lists of frequencies.  A ham operator friend sent this explanation to me:

“Yaesu radios typically are programmed to display the center frequencies on 60 meters but actually operate on what are known as dial frequencies on other radios. The USB dial frequencies are 1.5 kHz lower than the center frequencies.”

5.332 MHz.   5.33050 MHz Ch 1

5.348 MHz.   5.34650 MHz Ch 2

5.368 MHz.   5.35700 MHz Ch 3

5.373 MHz.   5.37150 MHz Ch 4

5.405 MHz.   5.40350 MHz Ch 5


Make sure you add the 60 meter frequencies to the RT software.

Now we need to restart the radio and pray it works.

  • Pressing F and V/M at the same time and then press the power switch.
  • Then press HOME and POWER to reset the radio CPU.
  • Turn the radio OFF.

Next get the radio ready to accept the RT Software.

Press the left and right MODE keys at the top of the radio and while those keys are pressed, apply power.
The radio display should show “CLONE MODE”
Press down the C key under the radio display screen.
Using the computer RT Software, go to the menu  and select COMMUNICATIONS > SEND DATA TO RADIO.
Mouse select the SEND DATA TO RADIO to start the file sending  into the radio.
You should then see a computer splash screen showing you the loading of data from the RT software into the radio.  The screen will show a left to right bar moving across revealing the loading into the radio.
When the loading has completed turn the radio OFF.
Now turn the radio back ON and you should now see your frequencies have loaded into the radio.
Go to one of your 60 meter frequencies by rotating the “SEL” for select knob just to the left of the radio display.  ONLY use this knob to choose the programmed channels.  As soon as you rotate the large knob you go out of your pre programmed channel and fine tune the frequency.  

While on a 60 meter frequency, press your microphone button and you should see the RED light turn on from the face plate of the radio showing you that it is transmitting on 60 meters.  If this happens, it appears that the prior modification has worked.

Counterpoise is required for best operation.

You need to add a stranded, not solid, insulated wire to the rear ground connection of the radio to help balance your antenna operation.  The best counterpoise is 1/4-wavelength at the lowest frequency you intend to use.    “Without a significant formal “counterpoise”, we have often undesirable case of the coax shield serving as most or all of the ad-hoc counterpoise; the “other half of the antenna”.

An interesting counterpoise solution can be found here:  https://www.qsl.net/sv1uy/counterpoisekit.html

I truly hope this description has helped and you are successful in using and enjoying this radio.

When you connect your Yaesu FT-817 to a 60 meter antenna try to tune the antenna with a passive SWR analyzer to avoid a mismatch in impedance.  Most ham stick antennas allow you to slide the end tip portion up and down and lock that part with small screws.  Once you think you have a very low standing wave ratio, SWR,  reading then lock that antenna length.   A further test is to attach a SWR meter between the radio and antenna to make sure there is a good impedance match when you transmit.  You really want to avoid reflected waves coming back into the radio because the antenna was a mismatch.

73

 

Posted September 25, 2020
Modified September 30, 2020

 

 

Evangelicals Pro Life Stance vs President Trump’s Inaction

Evangelicals Pro Life Stance vs President Trump’s Inaction

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Opinion

A lot of politics is dealing with values of one group and trade offs against another group.  Not only politicians but also the American public have to deal with weighing the interests of one group and maybe not another group.

Let us take brief snapshots of past and current political actions of national party members and their followers and possibly reveal the advantage for some but hurt, if any, for the “other” group.

The evangelicals believe in pro-life or banning abortions.   The reason?  To support the right to life of the unborn child.  This same group support Donald Trump who has allegedly failed to protect thousands of American citizens by his alleged incompetence at helping to fight the pandemic.  So we save how many expected babies come to life from the possible actions of a political group?   And then we see older people die, up to 120,000 from Trump’s inaction. 

Do you see the contradiction for the evangelicals that they support life and also death?

 

 

Posted September 22, 2020

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

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Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

 

 

 

Posted September 8, 2020

Wall Street Journal Opinion “I Was Never Trump. Not Anymore.”

Wall Street Journal Opinion “I Was Never Trump. Not Anymore.”

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I Was Never Trump. Not Anymore.

He has weaknesses, but his presidency has been successful.

By Michael I. Krauss

This opinion piece appeared in the September 3, 2020, print edition as ‘I Was Never Trump. Not Anymore.’

This opinion piece can also be found here:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-was-never-trump-not-anymore-11599087108

The Wall Street Journal offers good news reporting but their opinion section appears to be flawed.  

“… nearly 300 of The Journal’s news staff members sent a letter to the paper’s publisher, Almar Latour, condemning the opinion desk’s “lack of fact-checking and transparency.”

Following is just one example showing the problem that the WSJ has with their opinion section:

Claim:  the president has performed his duties and genuinely tried to keep his promises.

Answer: 

Over all? I think it is fair to say that he has in many respects tried to follow through on what he campaigned on, keeping in mind that his platform was unusually confused and contradictory. But I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that he’s anything special when it comes to keeping or at least trying to keep promises, and given his rambling campaign rhetoric, my guess is that he probably gave worse hints about his policy direction in the White House than most.

He is, however, unusually good at pointing out explicitly when he is acting in accord with his campaign rhetoric. That’s a real skill, and he deserves at least a bit of credit for it.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/22/opinion/trump-promises-campaign-2016.html

Claim:  He not only insisted that immigration conform to the rule of law, but advocated for and (where legally permitted) built a border wall.

Answer:

Why the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies are the United States’ loss and the rest of the world’s gain

1. These actions will motivate companies to move jobs out of the U.S.

2. Entrepreneurial immigrants will start businesses outside of the U.S.

3. Investors will seek investment opportunities elsewhere.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/07/20/why-the-trump-administrations-anti-immigration-policies-are-the-united-states-loss-and-the-rest-of-the-worlds-gain/

 

Claim: The president has appointed more than 200 federal judges, most of whom are superb and committed to finding the law, not making it up.

Answer: 

Trump’s high appointment numbers reflect not only an accommodating, filibuster-free Senate but also the over 100 vacancies that McConnell gave him by his unprecedented refusal to confirm more than only a handful of nominees in Obama’s final two years.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/26/trumps-200th-judicial-appointment-less-than-meets-the-eye/

——-

“They are largely white and male,” said Vanita Gupta, who runs the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “It is an astonishing lack of representation.”

“These are far more extreme judges than even President George W. Bush put on the bench, and we’re moving in the wrong direction,”

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/02/886285772/trump-and-mcconnell-via-swath-of-judges-will-affect-u-s-law-for-decades

Claim: He has followed through on his promise to reduce taxes and to begin deregulating the economy, creating a remarkable boom that reduced unemployment for minorities to the lowest rates ever recorded.

Answer:

where Trump goes too far is in touting this economy as the “best ever” and trying to portray the end of the Obama era as dire and himself as the hero flying in on the Trump jet to save the day. He has taken steps such as tax cuts to keep the economy growing and increase competitiveness, but he’s also inflicted pain. His tariffs have hurt U.S. manufacturing and agriculture. And his tax cuts and increased government spending have added substantially to the national debt.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/02/04/trump-touts-his-economy-best-ever-data-is-more-mixed/

Claim: the president promoted a historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Answer:

But the agreement generated an immediate backlash in the region from opposite sides of the ideological spectrum. At least some Israeli settlers and their political allies were disappointed that Mr. Netanyahu would give up his plan to claim sovereignty over West Bank territory, while Palestinians felt abandoned by an Arab nation leaving them to remain locked in an untenable status quo even without the threat of annexation.

“This is a black day in the history of Palestine,” Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, said in an interview shortly before the Palestinian ambassador to the Emirates was recalled in protest. “This agreement is a total departure from the Arab consensus. The Palestinian people have not authorized anyone to make concessions to Israel in exchange for anything.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/us/politics/trump-israel-united-arab-emirates-uae.html?auth=login-google

Claim:  He formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the U.S. Embassy there (as former presidents promised to do but never did).

Answer:

But none of the previous presidents followed through — one reason being that the move would appear to put the US squarely on the side of Israel.

As the country that has led the Israeli-Palestinian peace process negotiations for the past 25 years, the US is “supposed to be acting like the fireman,” he said. “Instead, we’re acting like the arsonist — we’re making things worse.”

The embassy move could also make the chances of a peace deal, already remote given that the two sides haven’t held serious peace talks in years, nearly impossible.

https://www.vox.com/2018/5/14/17340798/jerusalem-embassy-israel-palestinians-us-trump

Claim: Mr. Trump withdrew from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, the signing of which was possibly the single worst act of the Obama presidency.

Answer:

British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the U.S. to “do everything possible to preserve the gains for nuclear non-proliferation brought about” by the agreement “by allowing for a continued enforcement of its main elements.”

https://www.npr.org/2018/05/08/609383603/trump-u-s-will-withdraw-from-iran-nuclear-deal

Claim:The president eliminated Iranian terrorist mastermind Qasem Soleimani, essentially crushed ISIS, and neutralized its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Answer:

NO Contradictions found

Claim: He signed the Taylor Force Act into law, cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority as long as it pays support to the families of terrorists.

Answer: 

NO Contradictions found

Claim:  Mr. Trump recognized that a cold war exists with China, and he has taken concrete steps to counter that country’s efforts to weaken our republic.

Answer:

Nearly four years later, none of these goals have been realized, and it is hard to think of a single aspect of Sino-American relations that has evolved favorably for the United States.

https://warontherocks.com/2020/07/what-should-come-after-trumps-failed-china-policy/

Claim: signed an executive order combating anti-Semitism on college campuses.

Answer:

But not all Jewish organizations or activists celebrated the announcement.

Jewish Democratic Council of America executive director Halie Soifer instead attacked the president and said “he is partially responsible” for the rise in antisemitism in American and therefore “just three days after President Trump characterized Jews as money-hungry ‘killers,’ President Trump has zero credibility to take meaningful action to combat the scourge of antisemitism.”

Soifer said that, “If President Trump truly wanted to combat antisemitism, he would accept responsibility for his role in perpetuating antisemitic conspiracy theories and emboldening white nationalism.

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/trump-expected-to-issue-executive-order-against-antisemitism-on-campus-610540

Claim: promoting school choice to advance poor communities, despite unrelenting opposition from teachers’ unions.

Answer: 

Trump’s budget also includes massive cuts to federal education programs — some $9.2 billion from the current level of $68 billion in federal K-12 education spending. “To boost funding for charter schools while reducing it for other vital programs that help our students.

https://edsource.org/2017/trumps-proposed-cuts-to-education-funding-creates-friction-in-charter-school-community/583796

Claim: the president has named many excellent cabinet members.

Answer:

“Ethics Be Damned: More than half of Trump’s 20-person Cabinet has engaged in questionable or unethical conduct“

 

 

 

Posted 9/7/2020

Solution For Contour Sheets Ensnaring Pillow Cases.

Solution For Contour Sheets Ensnaring Pillow Cases.

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I found that when I put contour sheets in the dryer after being washed, they often times would ensnare at least one item, typically a pillow case, inside a twisted ball.  The ball always was at the contour sheet corner.  This required me to untwist the contour sheet holding other washed item and finding that they both were still wet.  I had to run the dryer again to dry those wet items.  This wasted energy and my time.  I came up with a real simple solution.  I take every sheet out of the washer, especially contour sheets, and roll each up from one opposite corner to the other into a ball and place this wet ball into my clothes dryer.  There is no need to roll the pillow cases.  I run the dryer after all the rolled sheets have been placed inside the dryer along with pillow cases and the sheets always come out without any problem.  I have not yet had to run the dryer a second time from using this method.

 

Dryer full of hand rolled bed sheets.
Clothes dryer showing it with a load of hand rolled bed sheets to stop contour sheets from “grabbing” pillow cases.

 

Posted: 9/6/2020

Southern California Edison Web Page Has Problems

Southern California Edison Web Page Has Problems

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All I wanted to do was to get information on when and where there were power outages.  I went to this web page, https://www.sce.com/wildfire/psps-alerts.  I tried to sign up for text messages.  On that page I chose the option “Text Alerts”.  I mouse clicked on the number “28954” and a text message window appeared on my computer desk top.  I entered the word “ENROLL” into that text message box and got an error.  

(This error was discovered September 6, 2020)