100 Years of Radio Series:
Radio Broadcasting’s First Years: What was it like?
By John Schneider W9FGH
It’s been a full century since the first broadcasting signals from makeshift radio transmitters crackled through the headphones of early radio experimenters. Without a doubt, broadcasting in 1920 bore no resemblance to the polished, widespread communication medium we know so well today. Even so, there was a style and flare to the new medium that had captured the hearts as well as the ears of America. John gives us a glimpse of what it was like.
David Sarnoff: Architect of American Broadcasting
By Scott Caldwell
It seems only fitting that in America, the new medium of radio would be led by a man who came to this country as a child with his family, escaping poverty and antisemitism from their native Russia. Sarnoff’s is the classic rags-to-riches story of a young man driven to succeed. From his humble beginnings as a newsboy on the streets of New York, once he purchased a Morse key and studied electronics in his spare time, it wasn’t long before he attracted the attention of none other than Guglielmo Marconi. The rest is the history of American broadcasting.
Summer Reading:
Code Breakers, Signal Interceptors, Radio Amateurs and GCHQ in WWII
Reviews by Ken Reitz KS4ZR
A small bookshelf of titles related to the efforts of Britain’s top-secret Radio Security Service and famed Bletchley Part is examined in the reviews of five books that will make excellent summer reading for all fans of radio and World War II history.
Introduction to Monitoring Radiosondes
By Giacomo Malnati IW2FTN
We all rely on weather reports to plan our outdoor activities. But, where do such reports come from and where do they get the data? Giacomo explains the use of radiosondes in reporting weather around the world and how you can monitor these devices yourself. It’s similar to tracking satellites, except radiosondes land and can be retrieved—if you can track them.
Mechanical Selective-Calling for Railroads and Mobile Radio Systems
Tom McKee K4ZAD
There was a time when railroads and mobile radio systems used an electro-mechanical selective calling (SELCAL) device to call particular locations or radios at certain times. The solution to this problem came in 1916 with the Western Electric No. 60 selector. From his years as an engineer with General Electric’s mobile radio division, Tom resurrects some old SELCAL gear and makes them work again.
Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Scanning Volusia County, Florida
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Federal Radio Oddities in Odd Times
Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitoring the 380-400 MHz LMR Sub-band in the United States
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
ARINC Assigns Frequencies for US Oceanic ATC
Shortwave Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
ARISS News, Mid-Altitude Balloon Race and VHF Contest Update
Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Repeaters Repeating
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Low-Budget Antenna System Hacks
Radio 1010
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Ku-Band FTA Satellite: Your Inexpensive Window to the World
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Toward Better Shortwave Listening
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Voice of Greece, Radio Thailand, BBC Fare
Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Quarantined but Still Getting Out
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Handy Homebrew Devices for Radio Restoration