New Era of Portable DXing with SDRs
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL
While first an SDR skeptic, Thomas eventually found himself playing around with software defined radios (SDRs) and quickly learned that third generation SDRs were capable of doing something very impressive (and fun), indeed: making spectrum recordings. Using this tool, he found he could record not only the audio of one individual signal, but the audio of entire swathes of radio spectrum. And even more impressive, he learned that he could later “play back” those spectrum recording and tune through the bands as if in real time, anytime he wanted. Before long, he was hooked—SDRs had become his portal into radio time travel!
WOLFWAVE Audio Processor
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH
In a world of modern radios that have a multitude of onboard RF and audio processing, you’d wonder what a product like the WOLFWAVE audio processor could offer. It turns out that it can offer a great deal. This compact transceiver accessory contains a variety of interesting operating features you’ll find useful particularly for older radios and low-cost QRP rigs that often lack more sophisticated amenities. But, it’s also a CW decoder and a low-distortion audio test generator for doing rig alignments and much more. Mark puts the WOLFWAVE to the test at his station.
Medium Wave DXing from the Other Side of the Pond
By Scott A. Caldwell
Like Thomas Witherspoon, Scott was initially an SDR skeptic. The magic and personal connection of manually tuning a radio receiver seems somewhat lost with an SDR. However, his initial opinion slowly began to change when he had the use of an SDR long term. This fall he put two popular SDRs to the medium wave DX test at his home. Using SDRs and a range of medium wave antennas, he reports “by far the best DX that I have ever received.” And, he’s got the log entries to prove it.
Pre-Broadcast Era Radio:
Pre-FCC, Educational Radio, Amateurs and the Ford Network
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
The sensation that wireless caused one-hundred years ago cannot be overstated. In the pre-broadcast era, while most transmissions were in Morse code, radio fans by the hundreds of thousands were learning code in order to listen to government, private, commercial, military, educational and amateur stations that flooded the airwaves in early 1920. In the years before the broadcast era, federal rules were set by the US Department of Commerce; amateur radio stations outnumbered governmental, military and commercial stations and Henry Ford was building his own network of stations.
Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Manitowoc County (WI); Mason County (MI)
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Federal Monitoring for the New Year!
Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
A Military Radio Network Full of Secret Messages
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
WRC-19 Wraps Up
Shortwave Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Demystifying the Hexagon-type Antenna
Digital Voice
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
2020 Visions
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Useful Gain and Directivity
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
The OTA-TV Migration Phase 8: Dawn of ATSC 3.0 and Digital Age Oddities
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Jeff White
Shortwave in South America; HFCC B19 Conference
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
DW, REE, RRI and More
Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Season of Changes
Adventures in Radio Restorations
By Rich Post KB8TAD
The Toy Wish that Started an Empire: Crosley Ace Type V
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber
Up and Over: Understanding Polarization