2018 TSM Index
Feature Articles
The month and page number follow each entry
Air Monitoring
The Air Show Experience Mar 8
Air Show 2017: My Flight in a B24 Liberator; Flying with the Geico Skytypers Mar 14
TSM Guide to Monitoring Air Shows Mar 18
Drones 101: Learning to Fly Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Mar 27
TSM North American Air Show Schedules Mar 32
Shortwave Radio
The Powerful Voice of Radio Miami International Feb 8
NASWA’s 31stAnnual Winter SWL Fest and WWLG Update Feb 26
SDR Primer Part 1: Introduction to SDRs and SDR Applications Jun 9
WBCQ-SW: New Power and Programming Nov 33
Equipment Reviews
Whistler TRX-1 Handheld Scanner Jan 10
Whisteler TRX-2 Mobil/Base Scanner Jan 16
Airspy HF+ Software Defined Radio Jan 18
Fox Delta 1 60 MHz Antenna Analyzer Kit Jan 21
C.Crane Skywave SSB Jan 25
Radioddity GD-77 Feb 15
Exploring the Video and Radio Possibilities of Roku Feb 19
QRPworks SideKar Plus Feb 23
TSM Reviews: Icom IC-7610 Arp 10
Yaesu FTM-3207DR Apr 23
FlexRadio 6400M HF+6 May 7
Yaesu FTM-750DR VHF/UHF Transceiver May 16
Uniden BCD436HP vs. Whistler TRX-1 Jun 19
Palstar LA-1K Solid State HF Amplifier Jul 21
The Mighty uBITX! Sep 13
MFJ 1866 Discone Antenna and Super-M Ultra MP Multi-Polarized Base Antennas Sep 26
Using TV Pre-amps for Scanners Sep 28
Uniden SDS100—The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Nov 16
Icom IC-30R Review Nov 23
Portable Shortwave Radios from $25-270 Nov 26
Amateur Radio Antennas to Go Nov 37
Over-the-Air AM/FM/TV and Free-to-Air Satellite TV
Channel Master’s New Over-the-Air TV Tuner/DVR and Interactive On-Screen Guide Apr 27
Free-to-Air Satellite-TV List Update May 19
ATSC-3.0 Update and Progress Report on FCC Repacking Plan Sep 30
General Interest Radio
Facing the Challenge of Making Ends Meet at Nonprofit Radio Stations Apr 19
Giving Undersea Cable its Just Deserts—160 Years Later May 12
Radio Evolution: From Wooden Boxes to Plug-in Dongles Jun 15
2018 Hamvention Report Jun 24
Echoes of Today: A World of Shortwave Listening and BCB Listening from ‘Alexa’ Jun 30
Cheerio: Amateur Radio’s Checkered History at the BBC Jul 17
Analog Scanning in a Digital World Sep 19
New Generation Weather Satellites Takes One Giant Leap in Weather Forecasting Sep 9
Has it Really Been a Decade? Amateur Radio in the Classroom Oct 16
SDR Report Part 3: From High-end SDR Receivers to SDR Transceivers Oct 20
A Visit to the Tokyo Ham Fair 2018 Oct 27
TSM 2018 Scanner Buyer’s Guide Nov 7
Classic Rock Era is Alive on Shortwave Dec 28
BCB DXing with that Old Transistor Radio Dec 32
SHARES: The Federal Government’s Plan-B HF Communications System Aug 9
APRS and Other Digital Communications: Part 1 Aug 13
Not the Sounds of Silence: Exploring the ELF and VLF Bands Aug 18
Buying New and Used Radio Gear Aug 26
Vintage Radio
‘De-Frankensteining’ Electricity: Life and Early Work of Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry Apr 14
The Development of Police Radio Communications in the United States Jul 7
Listening in on the WWI Western Front: The SCR-54A (BC-14A) Receiver Jul 11
Tracing the Development of the AM Broadcast Transmitter Oct 8
The Beginnings of FM Radio Broadcasting Dec 10
The EICO Story: The Electronic Instrument Company and its Kits Dec 20
Regular Columns
Scanning America
Long Beach (CA), Tennessee and Miami (FL) Jan 33
Digital Overtakes Analog Feb 30
Scanning Star and Tuscarawas Counties (Ohio) and Dakota County (Minnesota) Mar 37
DeKalb County (IL), and New Additions to P-25 Phase II Apr 30
Sublette County, Wyoming; Washoe County, Nevada May 23
Scanning Miami-Dade County, Florida Jun 34
Portsmouth (VA), Grant County (WI) and the ISS Jul 25
Lenoir County (NC), Missouri Department of Conservation Aug 32
Orange County (VA), Whistler Update Program and FCC Findings Sep 34
Hialeah, Florida, and a Public Service Radio Feud Oct 34
FCC Changes to 400 and 500 MHz Explained Nov 41
Fayette Country (GA) and Intro to ULS Dec 36
Federal Wavelengths
Back to Basics: A Federal Monitoring Primer Jan 37
Using Lessons Learned Feb 34
Super Bowl 52 On the Scene Report Mar 41
Software Defined Radio and Federal Monitoring Apr 34
USS Portland HYDRA System May 30
Dallas Federal Monitoring Jun 39
More Federal Digital Modes Jul 29
Nevada Scanner Safari Aug 36
The Center for Domestic Preparedness Sep 38
Hurricane Florence Response Oct 38
A California Road Trip Nov 45
Federal Wavelengths 2018 Wrap Up 40
Milcom
DoD’s VHF High-Band 138-150 MHz: The Hidden Military Aircraft Band Jan 42
Intro to Military Monitoring: A Look at the New 225-400 MHz Milcom Band Feb 39
Military Aerial Refueling: Extending the Reach Mar 46
225-400 MHz Military Aircraft Band Overview Apr 40
Military Base Profile: Edwards AFB (KEDW) May 36
Monitor the 380-399.9 MHz Radio Spectrum Jun 44
Monitoring Military Hurricane Communications Jul 34
Military UHF Traffic Control Frequencies Aug 42
Monitoring the Veterans of the Cold War Sep 43
Monitoring the US Coast Guard and the COTHEN HF Radio Network Oct 44
FAA TRACON: Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities Nov 51
Monitoring Santa Claus, NORAD and Combat Air Patrols Dec 44
Utility Planet
Winter Fun with European Aero Beacons Jan 48
The Great NAVTEX War of 2018 Feb 46
Canadian Coast Guard Broadcasts Mar 50
Whew! (Busy Month on the Radio) Apr 46
Doing Battle with STANAG 4285 May 42
It’s COTHEN Times Again! Jun 48
U.S. Radio Strangeness Continues Jul 39
The Silent Summer: US Gets Quieter Aug 47
KiwiSDR Offers Public RDF Capability Sep 51
US Coast Guard Mobilizes for Hurricane Florence Oct 51
HF Delivers Again in Indonesia and Florida Nov 56
Chasing Italian MF Coastal Stations Dec 50
VHF and Above
Sporadic-E: Separating Fiction from Speculation from Fact Jan 54
2017: A Momentous Year for ARISS Feb 52
InnovAntenna’s 2-Element 50 MHz LFA-Q Super-Gainer Mar 55
The Lyrids Meteor Shower Apr 51
West Point Cadets Launch Two Balloons May 47
A Busy Month; DX Engineering TW Antenna Center Box Jun 53
Contests and Field Day for VHF and Above Jul 44
It’s All About Propagation Aug 52
September’s Contests: a Mag-loop for my KiwiSDR and a Tribute to W3XO Sep 56
International Space Station Astronauts are Calling CQ Students Oct 56
FT8 SWLing in Europe Nov 61
CubeSats go to Mars Dec 55
Digitally Speaking
Ready—Fire—Aim Jan 58
Mid-Winter Potpourri Feb 61
NXDN: Icom and Kenwood’s other DV Mar 58
Analog FM—Half Off Apr 53
Goes Inta / Goes Outta May 52
A Midsummer’s Potpourri Jun 57
When Elephants Fight, it is the Ground that Suffers Jul 48
DV33 Aug 55
Repeaters? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Repeaters! Sep 59
Nothing Changes, if Nothing Changes Oct 60
Season of Change Nov 65
Complex Simplex Dec 59
Amateur Radio Insights
A Vertical Redeemed Jan 62
Did Joe Taylor K1JT Destroy Amateur Radio? Feb 65
KH6-A-Rama and Other Low-Band Takeaways Mar 62
You Can’t Keep a Good Antenna Down Apr 57
Feed Line Ferrite Chokes—Noise Reduction that Beats the Best DSP? May 56
The Siren Song of Small Antennas Jun 61
Static and Frustration from DC to Daylight—Welcome to Summer Propagation Jul 52
Portable Generators—Test and Enjoy! Aug 59
Schematics: The Latest Aren’t Necessarily the Greatest Sep 63
Transmit Audio—How’s Your Sound Oct 64
Cheap and Dirty Low-Band Success—Now with Data and Proof! Nov 69
Confessions of an Autotuner Abuser Dec 63
Radio 101
SWLing like it’s 1989!
Narrowcasting: FTA Satellite TV and Lesser Known TV Channels Feb 71
Mysteries of the Expanded AM Band and the Travelers’ Information Service Mar 67
Baseball on the Radio 2018 Apr 64
Gospell AM/FM/SW/DRM Receiver May 62
Korean Summit on FTA Satellite; The Future of C-ban, Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Test Jun 66
$664 Solution to Solar Cycle Doldrums Jul 58
Monitoring HF Marine Radio During the Tropical Storm Season Aug 64
Radio in Pictures Sep 69
Viasat: Help for Rural Broadband Access Oct 70
Sangean HDT-20 Component AM/FM/HD Radio Tuner Nov 74
Chasing AM Band DX: Then and Now Dec 68
Radio Propagation
New Year’s Resolutions Jan 72
Solar Winds and Funnel Clouds Feb 75
Can You Hear Me Now? Mar 71
How to Beat the Low Sunspot Numbers Apr 68
The Switch in May May 69
Field Day Fun, Again! Jun 70
The Sun in Sonic and Visual Art; an Aid to Scientists Jul 61
Solar Wind and Coronal Mass Ejections Aug 68
It is That Time Again: The Winter DX Season Sep 73
Looking Forward at a Backward Sign Nov 78
Winter DX is at the Door Dec 73
The World of Shortwave Listening
Shortwave in Africa—Still Very Much Alive Jan 76
AM and FM Pirates in the Western Hemisphere Feb 80
A Little Knowledge of Propagation Can Really Help! Apr 73
Shortwave Broadcasters and Listeners to Meet this Month May 73
Remembering WWII-era Clandestine Shortwave Radio Stations Jun 73
SDR Primer Part 2: Exploring the World of SDRs for $200 Jul 64
FT8, WSPR and the Shortwave Listener Aug 71
The Passing of a Modern Shortwave Pioneer Sep 77
US and International Pirate Shortwave Broadcasters Oct 74
Propagation Tools, Wire Antennas and DX News Dec 77
The Shortwave Listener
Old Shortwave Voices Still Heard Jan 82
Korean Winter Olympics, Latin and other Languages on Shortwave Feb 84
Listening to Argentina on Shortwave Mar 76
Blues on Shortwave; BBC Programming for April Apr 78
Voice of Greece, Radio Tirana and Country Music on Shortwave May 78
Proms, DW and BBC Radio Highlights Jun 78
40 Years of Shortwave Listening Jul 70
Health on SW, Canada as DX; BBC Offerings Aug 76
World Travel on the Shortwave Bands Sep 81
Creepy October Shortwave Programming Oct 79
Eastern Europe, Jazz and Global Economy Nov 83
New Programming from Spain and Greece Plus: Christmas Around the World Dec 82
Maritime Monitoring
Remembering Halifax Harbor; Marine Frequency Changes Jan 85
Radio Active Spring Apr 81
Sailing On Jul 73
Stormy Weather and Changing Times Oct 82
Amateur Radio Astronomy
Learning about Radio Astronomy Feb 87
NAVSPASUR Revisited May 81
Cosmic Podcasts; Books, Charts and the National Radio Quiet Zone Aug 79
Tracking Meteor Activity Nov 86
Amateur Radio Satellites
Another New AMSAT Satellite is Commissioned Mar 80
Golf-TEE and Golf-1 Get Rides to Space Jun 81
Amateur Radio Satellite Primer (Take 2) Sep 84
Amateur Radio Satellite Primer (Continued) Dec 85
The Longwave Zone
New Year’s Resolutions Jan 88
Loggings Galore! Feb 90
600 Meters Awaits You! Mar 84
PIM/272 is Back (Sort of)! Apr 84
Bill Oliver—Quiet Giant of Longwave May 84
Travel Log & Radio Ties Jun 84
Looking Back, Looking Ahead Jul 77
SDR: You Can Do it! Aug 82
SDR Startup, Other Happenings Sep 88
SDR, Step One Oct 86
SDR Startup: Up and Running! Nov 89
SDR Startup: It’s a Wrap! Dec 89
Adventures in Radio Restoration
Harman-Kardon A-260 “Chorale” Stereo Amp Jan 91
Invasion of the Two-Band Transoceanic Clones: Whodunit? Feb 93
The 8R40: A Different Hallicrafters Mar 87
Hallicrafters S-85: Another Scarce Model Apr 88
A Not-so-Scarce Hallicrafters: Model SX-99 May 87
The Transition: A Tale of Two Philcos Jun 87
Ballantine 300 and the Boonton Connection Jul 81
The Rescue: Drake SPR4 Communications Receiver Aug 85
The Unusual Clock Radio: Philco 53-706 Sep 91
Reviving a Comanche: The Siltronix 1011D Oct 90
Benrus 10B: A “Heavy Metal” Clock Radio Nov 92
Recollecting My First EICO: The 425K Oscilloscope Dec 93
Antenna Connections
Wire Antennas Part One: The Dipole Jan 95
Wire Antennas Part Two: More About Dipoles and Other Creatures Feb 100
Receive-Only Antennas: Can You Hear Me Now? Mar 91
Move Toward the Light: Antennas Above 144 MHz, Part One Apr 92
Understanding Ground: A Review Jul 87
The Collinear Array: Multiple Elements in a Single Piece Aug 89
Artificial Ground: Part One Sep 96
Artificial Ground: Part Two Oct 96
Matchmakers: How Tuners Work Nov 96
First Antenna: Selection Process Dec 99