Beat the Propagation Demons with SDR-to-SDR QSOs
By Richard Fisher KI6SN
Most shortwave listeners and radio amateurs trolling the wavelengths from 3 kilohertz to 30 MHz are saying wave propagation is about the poorest they can remember. And they are right. In records dating to 1820, Solar Cycle 24 is the absolute pits. It has been well documented that Internet radio station streaming and software-defined radios (SDRs) scattered around the world are the saving grace for many listeners worldwide. But is there any utility in using far-flung SDRs to bridge the propagation gap between radio amateurs who, at the moment, aren’t hearing all that much of each other on the HF bands? Richard shows us how he did it.
The Care and Feeding of Electronic Equipment
By Robert Gulley AK3Q
Some time back Robert did a search on the Internet for “radio maintenance.” The result? Very little. Most of the search results pointed me to radio repair shops or manufacturer’s repair centers. He believes it is important to know a bit about how to care for equipment and how to preventproblems before they occur. Or at least not allow small problems to become big problems. Robert discusses preventive maintenance tips which will help keep equipment running smoothly and allow a (hopefully!) quick resolution to problems when they do pop up.
QSLs: Radio’s Calling Card
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH
Hundreds of millions of QSL cards have been exchanged since the first one was sent about a century ago. In the CB and ham radio worlds, QSL means acknowledgment of a message, as well as showing proof of making contact with another station on the air. The QSL card is filled out by each operator and usually contains basic details about the two-way radio contact. QSLs were also sent as reception confirmation. Shortwave listeners (SWLs) and medium wave listeners would often request a QSL from stations they heard on the air. Mark takes a look at the history of the QSL that radio fans would often cover their shack walls with.
Keeping Your Radio Club Active
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Amateur radio clubs have existed almost as long as amateur radio itself. As interest in the developing technology increased, like-minded individuals started talking to each other—informally—then eventually decided to form an organization. What about today? What is the average age of your club membership? Is the current roster of officers and board members quite similar to the same roster of 10 years ago? What is the ratio of male to female members? What is the ratio of active members to total number of members? What new projects are you working on? Do you and your fellow members wear name/callsign badges during meetings? Cory gives us a check list to help assess the health of our own local amateur radio clubs.
Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
FRS/GMRS Update; Allegany County (Maryland)
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Miami Monitoring
Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
WWV/WWVH Get Provisional Broadcast Timeslot for DoD
Utility Planet
Hugh Stegman
About Time: Chasing Obscure Time Stations
Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Longtime ARISS Mentor, Keith Pugh W5IU, Silent Key
Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Hamvention 2019: The Good, the Bad and the (not so) Muddy
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
The Rise and Fall of Wi-Fi Radio
Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
June 22-23: Field Day in North America!
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Andrew Yoder
Pirate Radio History and Today’s Activities
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
D-Day on the Radio; BBC June Line-up
Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Amateur Radio Satellite Primer (Part IV)
The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
No Antenna? No Problem!
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Fine Business on the Fone Band: National FB-7 Part 2
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Impedance Matching