AmateurRadio.com

Stories you’ll find in our August, 2016 issue:

TSM Reviews: LD-5 HF Ham Radio QRP Transceiver
By James Hannibal KH2SR

The LD-5, made in USA by LNR Precision Inc., is an amazing little QRP, 5-band SSB/CW amateur radio transceiver that’s small and light enough to fit in just about any backpack, making this one of the most portable SSB, multi-band, HF rigs currently on the market. James puts this little rig through its paces on a trip down the length of the US west coast with pleasing results.

Vacation Scanning on the Rails
By Eric Beheim

For scanner enthusiasts, traveling by rail offers an opportunity to monitor the radio communications that are being sent and received onboard their trains. These communications include conversations between the train’s crewmembers, conversations between dispatchers and the engineer, and the periodic reports from radio alarm detectors. Listening in on these transmissions not only helps to make the trip more interesting, but also provides greater insight into what it takes to keep a passenger train running in a safe and timely manner.

China Radio International: Evolution of a Shortwave Radio Station
By Fred Waterer

China Radio International is one of the largest broadcasting agencies in the world, as befits one of the world’s economic and military superpowers. Today’s CRI is a mainstream voice of Asia, portraying a sense of order and normalcy. One could easily mistake a current broadcast from China as being from BBC or Radio Japan. This is in stark contrast to broadcasts of past decades, which mirrored the chaotic political situation in the country. Fred looks back at his many years of listening to the radio voice of China.

CB Radio and More: Two-Way Radio No-License Alternatives
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

There are many facets to the communications receiving hobby—shortwave listening, scanner monitoring, exploring utility stations and more. If you develop the urge to transmit and hold conversations with others, we typically think about earning an amateur radio license and exploring all it has to offer, which is quite a bit, indeed. However, there are some avenues to enjoying two-way communications that you may have overlooked such as CB (HF), GMRS and FRS (both UHF) and MURS (VHF). In this series of articles, we’ll explore these options and find ways to get as much enjoyment out of them as possible.

A Classic Dozen: When it comes to Vintage Ham Gear, what’s in a (Great) Name?
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Over many decades, there have been scores of radio manufacturers that have come-and-gone or are thriving yet. Here are a dozen whose products, in one way or another, qualify as “vintage.” You will find many of their classic radios are not only still on the air every day, but readily available, some inexpensively, in today’s vintage market. Richard traces the origins of some venerable radio names.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Madison County (MO), Fire Service & Amtrak

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
When Federal Frequencies aren’t Federal

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
When the Going gets Tough, the Tough Tune the Radio

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Army MARS and TSA PACTOR Network Changes

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Evangelists and Cheerleaders

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Juggling VHF/UHF Contests and a DIY Antenna for 2-Meters

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Let’s Talk!

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Radio and TV via FTA Satellite on Intelsat 21

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Did He Really Do it?

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVW
Something Old, Something New: Kenwood R-5000 and Tecsun PL-680 Receivers

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Top Shortwave Programs and a Tiny Change in Time

Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
Using FITS Viewers with Radio Astronomy Images

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Contributor’s Guide to TLZ

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Wakening the Knight: Allied Radio’s TR-106 6-Meter AM Transceiver

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Antenna 101: Review of the Basics Part 2

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