TSM Reviews: Elecraft KX2 QRP Transceiver
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL
As a ham who already owns both the KX1 and KX3
transceivers, and likes them very well, wouldn’t a KX2 be redundant? Maybe. But
it also puts him in a perfect position to compare Elecraft’s latest offering. Thomas
takes the diminutive KX2 into the field, where it was meant to be, activating
more than twenty NPOTAs (National Park on the Air). What he finds is that “the
KX2 is a profound upgrade of the KX1.” He also checks out the KX2 on the
international shortwave bands and finds, “It’s an exceptionally sensitive and
selective receiver, with a stable AGC, that would please the most dedicated
DXer.”
Small HF Antennas for Portable and
Restricted Space Use
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH
While
small and shortened antennas have their drawbacks, their advantages—convenience
for portable use, backpacking and avoiding HOA conflicts—are substantial
tradeoffs. And, while their performance is less than should be expected from
full-sized antennas, this doesn’t mean they don’t perform—you just need to keep
your expectations in perspective. Mark takes a look at several of the more
popular portable HF antennas available commercially and he looks at the options
for making your own, including a 40-6 meter end-fed antenna he made himself.
Radio Power Supplies: A Primer for Hams
and SWLs
By Bob Grove W8JHD
It’s the most basic piece of equipment in
your ham shack or radio room—it’s certainly the least interesting—but it could
be the most important. Bob Grove answers just about every question you might
have had about the lowly radio power supply: Why 13.8 volts? Is a same-brand
power supply best for my name-brand transceiver? Do I really need meters on my
power supply? What’s a switching power supply? What’s “crowbar protection” and
“variable voltage?” What amperage do I really need? If I’m using a battery as a portable power
supply, which is best?
The Kit’s Meow: Shopping for DIY Radio
Projects
By Richard Fisher KI6SN
With Ramsey shutting down its radio kits
division earlier this year, many hams and shortwave listeners felt it might
signal the end of the radio kits industry. Don’t people build things anymore?
Regular TSM contributor Richard Fisher KI6SN set out to discover the current
state of kit making. What he found is quite encouraging: more than 250 online
companies offering kits as varied as the spectrum we listen to, with a great
range in prices and required maker skills. Richard lists them all, complete
with a sampling of their wares and links to their websites.
MURS: Dots, Data and More
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Along
with Class D CB, GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) and FRS, (Family Radio
Service) there’s another aspect to the FCC’s Part 95 two-way radio – MURS. The
Multi-Use Radio Service occupies five channels in the VHF spectrum. By rule, it
is limited to a 2 watts output power and may seem quite limited, but there’s
more to MURS than meets the eye. In this segment of his Part-95 radio series,
Cory, looks at the little known VHF service that can meet quite a few needed
applications where you live.
Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Public Utilities as “Critical Infrastructure”
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
TSA Radio Updates and More Small Federal Agencies
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
KPH Returns to Point Reyes
Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
An HF “Beep, Beep, Beep,” Chirping Signal Mystery
HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
DMR Update
VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Baofeng BF-F8HP and BTech UV-5X3 Handhelds and 220 MHZ
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Forget the Holiday—It’s Contest Time!
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
What’s New in CB and FRS/GMRS
Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Space Weather: Solar Cycle 24 is Dying!
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Ken
Reitz KS4ZR
Trends
in Shortwave Radio
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
EU SW Stations and Election Night Listening
Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
FITS Again
The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
The Freshman Masterpiece: a
1920s TRF Experience
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
And the Twain Shall Meet: Let’s Build a Dipole