March 2014 Contents
Monitoring the Action
at an Air Show
By Brian and Jo Marie Topolski
Last year’s air show season was a
no-show, thanks to the government sequester. But 2014 promises a full schedule of air show activity. Veteran
air show goers and former Monitoring Times feature writers, Brian and Jo Marie tell what to take, what not to take and, more importantly, where to tune in, to catch all of the action
that’s in the air.
Air Show Monitoring and Photography
By Kevin Burke
Former Monitoring Times feature writer and aviation adventurer, Kevin Burke
has his scanners and his camera
ready for any mysterious appearance of interesting aircraft. Find out how he takes
those amazing aircraft-in-flight photos.
TSM’s 2014 Air Show Schedule
After a dismal
2013 air show schedule, your favorite aviation
demonstration teams are back! Find out which teams will perform near you and when you can see them.
An Integrated Approach to Monitoring Aviation
By Dave Kelly
New receiver design,
coupled with more sophisticated software programs
on more capable computers, yields
a multi- disciplinary approach
to scanning the air for civilian
and military aircraft.
Use a DVB-T Dongle for VHF/UHF
Monitoring
By Mario Filippi N2HUN
Originally designed to turn desktop and laptop computers
into Over-the-Air TV sets, these inexpensive DVB dongles
can turn your computer into a software defined VHF/UHF radio. Mario
shows you what works
and what doesn’t.
Do-it-Yourself Drones
By Cory Koral K2WV
Until now, drone aircraft were
the useful tools of military organizations
and super-secret spy agencies. Then these unmanned planes were utilized
for all kinds of domestic
organizations including police agencies, corporations, even environmental organizations. Now, they’re the playthings of high-tech geeks with a mastery
of video games and a passion for flight.
March 2014 Columns
Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Weather Monitoring
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Federal Interoperability Revisited
Utility
Planet
By
Hugh Stegman NV6H
New Frequency
for Cuban “Babbler”
Digital
HF: Intercept and Analyze
By
Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Monitoring Safety at Sea with GMDSS/DSC
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Antennas: Height
Makes Right!
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Amateur Radio DX and QSLing Made Easy
Radio
Propagation
By Tomas
Hood NW7US
Comparative Analysis with ACE-HF
The World of Shortwave
Listening
By Thomas
Witherspoon K4SWL
Traveling Light, SWLing Right
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Voice of Vietnam
and Channel Africa
Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Amateur Radio Satellite Update
The Longwave Zone
By
Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Mid-to-Late Season DX
Adventures
in Radio
Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
A Tale of Two Progressive Radios
The Broadcast Tower
By Doug Smith W9WI
AM Improvement: The People
Speak
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Closer to Daylight: Antennas
Above 54 MHz