Building Solar-Powered Amateur Radio
Beacons for 630 and 10-Meters
By Geir Laastad LA6LU
In the August 2015 issue of TSM,
Geir wrote about “Advanced Radio Noise Filtering Using DSP Technologies.” This
time Geir puts his electronics know-how to work while he shows us how he built
two amateur radio beacons for opposite ends of the amateur HF spectrum: the 630
and 10-meter bands. The site for his beacons is his remote cabin in the woods—far
away from everything, which is why his beacons are also powered off the grid. Using
QRP Labs Ultimate3 QRSS/WSPR kits,
these beacons have to be very rugged to take the abuse Norway’s winters can
dish out.
TSM Reviews: AOR DV-1 Wideband Receiver
By Chris Parris
AOR is a brand well known to monitoring enthusiasts. They have a long
history of making high-end receivers featuring advanced technology capable of
wideband reception from longwave to the high side of UHF. “Federal Wavelengths”
columnist, Chris Parris, puts this pedigreed receiver through its paces and
finds some welcome pluses and a few disappointing minuses. He especially liked
this radio’s ability to seek out weaker digital signals that other radios
missed and he found ways to overcome the radio’s anemic audio.
Retro Radio: Finding, Storing and
Savoring Vintage Amateur Radio Gear
By Richard Fisher KI6SN
Knowledgeable radio amateurs
describe “vintage” transmitters, receivers and transceivers as being somewhat
relative—only you know it when you see it. That’s because each of us have our
own radio experiences, some dating to decades ago and others more recent.
Nostalgia is a many splendored thing. Last month he looked at broadcast-band
and shortwave receivers of a rich, bygone era. In this second part, his
focus is on collecting, restoring and enjoying commercially manufactured
vintage amateur radio equipment. As Richard shows us, restoring these ham band
workhorses requires more than just a fondness for days gone buy.
VHF and Above: Sporadic-E Propagation
By Joe Lynch N6CL
From late November to
early January, and again in the middle of May through the end of July,
sporadic-E propagation appears more often on VHF and above frequencies in the
Northern Hemisphere. This type of propagation occurs when there is a sporadic
ionization of the E-layer that appears in the late morning and late afternoon
local time during those months. But, working meteor-scatter Sporadic-E is not
for slow hands, Joe shows you how to work fast to successfully log QSOs using
this ephemeral mode. And, for once, it’s not about expensive esoteric antennas!
ATSC Off-Air Local Television: The
Programming
By Mike Kohl
The Golden Age of Television
is really here. Never before has there been such an abundance of choices in TV
entertainment for the home. Last month, Mike hinted at multiple delivery
methods being used to deliver signals. This month he looks at the content
provided by local television broadcasters to their local Over-the-Air (OTA)
viewers in representative regions of North America. Mike continues to show us
all how to “cut the cord,” this month looking at OTA programming rewards. You
might be surprised at just how many OTA channels you can find where you live.
Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Pensacola’s APCO P-25 Phase 2 and
Whistler’s New Scanners
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
DMR, APCO-25, MotoTRBO, and the
IRS
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
Mexican Military Returns to HF
ALE
Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
The US Navy HF Broadcast System
Revisited
HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Digital Voice on the HF Bands
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
DVB Dongles: Beef Up your $20 SDR
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
WorldSpace, WRN, WXFAX and More
Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7UST
Catching Those Winter Mediumwave DX
Signals
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Jeff
White
A South
Pacific Radio Odyssey
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
RNZI, BBC, RFI, WHRI and VOA
Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
CMB: Continuous Marine Broadcasts
The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
SDR: I’m a Believer!
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
In Command Again Part 2: Experiments in Powering the
Command Transmitters
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Stealthy Green Jolly Loop
Revisited: On the Low Down
Radio Horizons
New book releases for 2016
“International Shortwave Broadcast Guide;” Klingenfuss 2016 Shortwave Frequency
Guide; “2015 Digital Digest;” “Listening to Longwave.”