Let Portable
Antennas give you a Noise-Free Vacation
By Keith Baker
KB1SF/VA3KSF
An increasing cacophony
of mostly man-made RF noise on our HF bands makes it ever more difficult to
hear particularly weak incoming stations, sometimes to the point of making reception
of favorite shortwave or ham DX stations all but impossible at home. Keith
shows us how you can take a break from noise using portable antennas that
really work.
What You Should
Know before Investing in an Antenna
By Richard
Fisher KI6SN
Whether you are a relative
newcomer to amateur radio, SWLing, TV DXing or VHF-UHF scanning, or are a
seasoned card-carrying veteran, only you will know the antenna parameters best
suited for your amateur station or listening post. Your own passions, needs,
capabilities, real estate, budget and a jillion other factors inform your
antenna choices. Richard helps sort out the options and explains how to get the
most S-units per dollar spent in pursuit of DX.
Wi-Fi Radio
Primer Part 1
By Thomas
Witherspoon K4SWL
Always a hard-core shortwave
radio listener, Thomas likes the tactile experience of turning the knobs of the
shortwave, tuning in stations across the globe. So, when online listening
became popular, it never occurred to him to give it a try. Then, at the 2012 Winter
SWL Fest, an excellent presentation on the merits and technologies behind Wi-Fi
radio intrigued him. After downloading and installing the Pro version of the
TuneIn radio app, he had to admit, it was a pretty powerful listening
experience...one he could easily get used to.
Piggy-Bank Ham
Radio Part 1
By Cory GB
Sickles WA3UVV
After hearing someone
bemoan the “high cost” of amateur radio and how such a “prohibitive expense”
was preventing many from becoming hams, his knee jerk reaction was, “Really?” Sure,
if you’re referring to a super-mega-über contest station, then he might agree,
but just to get started, you don’t need deep pockets—just some preparation and
some well-placed effort. Cory outlines a “cheap and dirty” way to start
enjoying HF—with the basic Technician class license. Just as ham radio itself
has no barriers as to age, the ideas he shares can work for anyone, whether
you’re a student, retiree or somewhere in between.
Multiple FTA
Satellite Reception Techniques Revisited
By Mike Kohl
The most cost effective
way to get into Free-to-Air satellite reception is with 75 to 90-cm antennas
for most Ku-band reception because they’re cheaper and shipping costs are less.
But needing to monitor multiple FTA satellites forces a decision about whether to
use multiple Ku-band antennas linked together with a DiSEqC switch, or to
motorize one or more antennas. Which Ku-band satellites do we actually watch on
a regular basis? After the busy Galaxy 19 satellite at 97 degrees West, what
satellites do we need continuous access from on a 24 hour basis? Mike shows us
how to properly set up a motorized Ku-band dish or use a DiSEqC switch.
Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Growing Acceptance of TETRA
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
The 2016 Political Season
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
Uncovering U-2s on HF
Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
US ALE Smorgasbord
HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Digital Destinations
VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
The Meteor Shower Nobody Saw—Revisited—Again
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Home-Brewing and Kit
Building Isn’t What It Used To Be—But It’s Almost What It Will Be!
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Last of the Standalone DRM Portable Radios?
Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Season of Lights (Aurora)
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob
Wagner VK3BVW
Clandestine Stations Alive and Well
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
The Queen’s Birthday, KBC Cutback and VOA Tibet
Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Radio Action on the Great Lakes Returns
The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Spring Remedies
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Sound and Light: The Mitchell Lumitone 1260
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Mulit-banding a Single Antenna: Several Routes Beckon