2017 Year in Review

For this last issue of the year, I pulled the most popular links from each issue and complied the top 10
as a ‘look back’ on the world of Amateur Radio in 2017. Enjoy! –Cale K4HCK

#10

End Fed Antennas – Where’s the other half?
I was shocked to say the least, a guy that’s been a ham for 20 years that’s never heard of the End-Fed antenna?
K5ACL (Issue 147)

#9

What pushed Radio Shack into bankruptcy?
After two years of unsuccessful turnaround efforts, RadioShack filed for its second bankruptcy, citing poor mobile sales.
The Christian Science Monitor (Issue 149)

#8

FT8
I was actually flabbergasted by the amount of signals I already received at the 20m FT8 frequency. Within a few moments I already worked HA6NN and A92AA.
PE4BAS (Issue 165)

#7

Teardown Tuesday: Baofeng UV-5R
This display driver has been around since the late 80s.
All About Circuits (Issue 148)

#6

A better way to put a PL-259 on RG-58 coax
This soldering technique simplifies assembly of PL-259s with RG-58 cable.
KB6NU (Issue 155)

#5

The future of Amateur Radio is not in the numbers
In truth, anyone of any age is a potential good candidate to ensure the future of amateur radio.
Off Grid Ham (Issue 170)

#4

First transceiver with built-in FreeDV
Chinese Ham Radio gear for HF with built-in FreeDV digital voice mode.
marxy.org (Issue 153)

#3

Millennials are killing Ham Radio
Despite being clickbait, the title isn’t wrong. Millennials are definitely killing ham radio, just like they’re killing everything else.
N0SSC (Issue 182)

#2

80/40 Meter Loaded Dipole Antenna
The plan for this antenna was to build a lightweight 80/40 meter antenna for field use (as part of my Go Kit) that wouldn’t overload my 21 foot telescoping fiberglass mast.
High on Solder (Issue 151)

#1

FCC revisions will affect GMRS, FRS, CB, other Part 95 devices
CBers will be allowed to contact stations outside of the FCC-imposed — but widely disregarded — 155.3 mile distance limit.
ARRL (Issue 156)

Bonus!

#11

µBITX general coverage HF SSB/CW transceiver kit
It works from 3 MHz to 30 MHz, with up to 10 watts on SSB and CW with a very sensitive receiver.
HF Signals (Issue 185)

#12

The “Slick Six” 6 meter horizontal dipole
This antenna is small, only about 9 feet 4 inches from end to end and is easy to adjust.
hamuniverse.com (Issue 145)

FCC penalizes marketer of Ham-band drone
The FCC has imposed a $180,000 civil penalty on a Sarasota, Florida, company that had been marketing noncompliant audio-visual transmitters intended for use on drones in violation of the Commission’s Amateur Service and marketing rules.
ARRL

Building a QRP Field Day Station
It helps to test the station set up in advance. The hub of my station is the Elecraft KX3 transceiver. A new addition is the Elecraft PX3 spectrum scope. Now add a computer and logging software, and you have a few things to integrate.
N4KGL

Homebrew LF Antenna
The main loop is made of 35 turns of enameled copper wire of 0.35mm diameter.
galvanix

Time warp: Simulated Novice FCC Morse Code exam
Novice Morse proficiency exam practice.
HamRadioQRP

Using a mixing console in the shack
If you have a few receivers kicking around in your radio shack, this is one way to hook them all together and send their audio on to your favourite monitoring speakers.
The SWLing Post

One of oldest U.S. radio stations to go dark
Unofficial accounts indicate that KQV started out as “special amateur station” 8ZAE, to be used by the Doubleday-Hill Electric Company primarily for two-way communication.
ARRL

Build a Nixie Tube power supply
I finally received a batch of 1n-14 nixie tubes that I purchased from ebay for a future clock project. The tubes need a power supply that can supply 170 volts DC, which I didn’t have, so I built one.
awsh.org

Is Amateur Radio still relevant?
For over half a century, the BBC has had its own amateur radio group. Now, after several years of planning, the group’s latest home has just opened in BBC Broadcasting House in London, UK.
BBC World Service

Why bother getting an Amateur Radio License?
The Federal Communications Commission provided US citizens with an amazing opportunity to experiment with and develop innovative technology when creating Part 97.
AmateurRadio.com

Video

Xiegu X108G HF Transceiver review and on-air test
This little gem is pretty awesome. An HF radio that covers 1.8-30mhz with USB PC rig control through Ham Radio Deluxe and other software.
HamRadioConcepts

Ethernet powered tower light
YouTube

Millennials are reinventing Ham Radio
We have taken on the optimistic view that we can reinvent amateur radio.
FaradayRF

New: µBITX
µBITX works from 3 MHz to 30 MHz, with up to 10 watts on SSB and CW with a very sensitive receiver.
HF Signals

Logbook of the World to add support for CQ WAZ Award
Participants in CQ magazine’s Worked All Zones (WAZ) award program will soon be able to use the Logbook of the World (LoTW) system
ARRL

CQ White Paper on ARRL secrecy and censure
The ARRL’s recent actions regarding board elections, the code of conduct for board members and the public censure of a sitting director have prompted concern.
CQ Magazine

City’s Radio Shack one of the last still in business
Ham radio makes up about 30 percent of the business’s trade and, as the only such outlet in the region, draws customers from a variety of places.
Derby Informer

3D printed Anderson Powerpole adapter for FT-817
DL2YMR

FM satellites: Good operating practices
While working stations through an FM satellite is fairly easy, there are some operating practices that all operators should follow.
AMSAT

AM stereo stations in the U.S.
We salute and honor the following stations that choose to broadcast C-QuAM®™ AM stereo.
meduci.com

Review: Uputronics wideband preamp
Unit is massive, built like a tank (same case as all other Uputronics preamps), SMA female ports with nut and washer properly labeled.
Radio For Everyone

Video

6 Meter/50 MHz Magnetic Loop
Here is an all aluminum CNC machined simple to build and tune 6 meter magnetic loop antenna.
HamRadioConcepts

The good and the bad with AO-91
What’s right and what went a little wrong with AO-91. She hears very well, but she had a heck of a time learning to talk.
AMSAT

This weekend: ARRL 10 meter contest
The objective is for Amateurs worldwide to exchange QSO information with as many stations as possible on the 10 meter band.
ARRL

WSPR Beacon Rocket is launched into near space
I launched a WSPRLite beacon on my hobby rocket at the Dec 2nd rocket launch in Samson, Alabama.
N4KGL

Review: RTL-SDR Blog Multipurpose Dipole Antenna Kit
Four antennas, two mounts, one antenna holder with cable and one more extension cable. Costs $10 on its own.
Radio for Everyone

10 watt moonbounce success
The contact was made using a Yaesu FT-857 @ 10w into a DG7YBN 70-17m 17 element yagi on a frequency of 432.063MHz
Essex Ham

My love for analog FM
C4FM & DMR Repeaters have popped up all over the nation it seems.
K5ACL

Mic amp
I connected my d104 mic to it and hooked it up to the scope and the scope pattern looks good.
awsh.org

Building a WA5VJB cheap Yagi for satellite work
I took a Baofeng UV-5R and built a WA5VJB cheap Yagi which is also used in AMSAT demos at hamfests.
galvanix

EMP protection for the Radio Amateur
What is an EMP, why should you care, and what to do about them?
Off Grid Ham

Reducing SD card writes with Raspbian
A common concern of those running applications on a Raspberry Pi is SD Card exhaustion.
K2DLS

Morse Chrome
Chrome browser extension for Morse Code
Ham Radio QRP

Video

WSJTX & FT8 the easy way with the Icom 7300
For beginners or people who don’t want the work of integrating JTAlert and/or QSORelay and a logbook. The easiest way to make FT8 contacts.
K0PIR

Pakratt PK64 on the Commodore 64 connected to raspberry pi BPQ
Testing connections to my local BBS and another BBS in the area using my commodore 64 and a PK-64 Pakatt TNC connected to a remote raspberry pi bpq over the packet modem.
YouTube

Slow Scan TV from International Space Station Dec 5-6
The MAI-75 SSTV system in the Russian Service Module will be put through some extended testing.
AMSAT UK

What the heck is the ARRL Board thinking?
In effect, this is a gag order on a director if he disagrees with a Board decision.
KB6NU

KX2 firmware upgrade to increase power output
The latest KX2 field-test firmware allows power output to be set as high as 12 watts.
W2LJ

Success with the new AO-91 FM satellite
I did an AO-91 pass at 2 AM Sunday morning with the Kenwood TH-D72A. It was very different. It sounded crystal clear just like a local repeater.
N4KGL

Using a Baofeng transceiver to work Amateur Radio Satellites
I’m a brand new ham as of October 2017, and I had a really fun experience listening to RadFxSat Fox-1B AO-91 yesterday.
friendlyskies.net

Come join the fun with Olivia on HF
Olivia offers keyboard-to-keyboard chatting for when you want to relax, and maybe make a friend.
amateurradio.com

VHF/UHF FM/DSTAR/DMR mobile installation
The setup includes an ICOM ID-4100 running on FM and D-Star on the VHF band, and a Hytera MD-652 running on FM and DMR on the UHF band.
VA2SS`

Icom IC-R7100 and its clicking noise
Every time the squelch opens or closes, it produces a clicking noise.
EA4EOZ

EMCOMM Go Kit – Power Box
All together the power box weighs just under 31.5 lbs.
High on Solder

UK Amateur Radio license stats
Amateur Radio population in the UK has grown by approximately 10% over the past 5 years.
ARRL

Oldest Ham F8IL, SK
Jean Touzot, F8IL, of Albi, France — said to have been the world’s oldest radio amateur — has died.
ARRL

Video

Failed SOTA Activation
Round trip: 10 miles with a 3,900 elevation change.
KB1HQS

Getting Started with Chameleon F-LOOP 2.0 Magloop Antenna
The Chameleon F-LOOP 2.0 is a modular magnetic loop antenna system, which follows the Lego block philosophy often employed by Chameleon Antenna.
OH8STN

Millennials are killing Ham Radio
Maker Movement, digital modes are killing the hobby.
N0SSC

Is the Internet destroying Amateur Radio?
Although there are plenty of “keep the internet out of amateur radio” folks in the hobby, there are many more that have found clever ways to make use of the internet.
K0NR

FT-8: I’m not really feeling the magic
If you’re one of those guys who wants to make contacts, but doesn’t really want to talk to anyone, then this is the mode for you.
KB6NU

Best digital mode…? Not really
I have yet to download the latest WSJT-X release, as I presently have no need, nor see the need to use FT8.
AmateurRadio.com

AO-91 satellite declared open for Amateur use
AO-91 was built as a partnership with Vanderbilt University featuring the Fox-1 style FM U/v repeater with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz.
AMSAT

NASA On the Air for 2018
Club stations at NASA facilities plan to be on the air with special events to celebrate these milestones and we are offering commemorative QSL cards and a special certificate.
NASA On The Air

Bitcoin and weak frequency signals
Two individuals introduced a project which secures consensus proofs with weak signal radio propagation.
Bitcoin.com

Ignored by telecoms, Detroit residents are building their own Internet
40 percent of Detroit residents don’t have any access to internet at all.
Motherboard

Junker: Unfortunate name for a great key
The Junker D.B.G.M. is one of the finest telegraph keys ever manufactured.
Ham Radio QRP

A photographic tour of Universal Radio’s new location
In October, Universal Radio moved from their large Reynoldsburg, Ohio retail store and warehouse to a smaller retail store and warehouse at 651-B Lakeview Plaza, Worthington, Ohio.
The SWLing Post

Video

Amazon Alexa and Amateur Radio
APRS, DMR, learning CW, and more with Amazon Alexa.
Essex Ham

AO-91 RX via Baofeng
YouTube

Tuning 40m in low noise location
I’ve spent a couple of days at a very low noise location. Here’s me tuning 40m in the afternoon.
YouTube

All WX solar powered Amateur Radio field station
The concept for a rapidly deployable, man-portable field station, came to me after the grid down disaster caused by Hurricane Maria.
OH8STN

The antenna on Rocky Top
The University of Tennessee Amateur Radio club has a set of antennas nestled between the lights at the top of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The tower is so high, most of the 102,000+ fans wouldn’t ever notice it. With the lights on, it’s impossible to catch a glimpse.
K4HCK

Portable AllStarLink node
Raspberry Pi 3 + Baofeng BF-888s connecting to a 4G LTE hotspot.
KP4IP

Ham Radio network keeps Capital commuters rolling along
The Capital District Commuter Assistance Network is a group of operators who provide information about travel hazards.
The Record

Thank you for my signal report
Maybe this is a radical idea but for my own operation I will strive to start sending more accurate reports and help the other station truly know how they are being copied.
AA4OO

Building a feedline HF choke
The choke has a resistance of over 1000 ohms on most of the Amateur HF bands, and up to 5000 ohms in the middle bands.
Daniel Estévez

Build an end fed match box
Connected to my end fed inverted L it shows decent SWR on 40 and 20m. My transceiver’s built-in ATU easily matched on both those bands.
marxy’s musing on technology

Video

NVIS event with a fence antenna
I connected to the fence using two alligator clips from the coax, one clipping to the fence and the other clipping to two 33ft radials which ran perpendicular to the fence.
VA3OSO

Antenna made from exterior Christmas lights
W6LG shows the dipole antenna and an instantaneous antenna tuner.
W6LG

USA-135M Cape San Blas lighthouse activation
The Panama City Amateur Radio Club activated USA-135M, the Cape San Blas Lighthouse.
W4RYZ

Rowboat mobile
While on vacation in Maine, I borrow a friends rowboat and go mobile maritime off the coast of Maine. I work a nice pile up and finish the day off with fish and chips.
KB1HQS

Behind the scenes at the Arecibo Radio Telescope
Matt and Tom

Baofeng UV-5R stress test: Receiver and transmitter overload
Open circuit with 5 minutes of RF, short circuit with 5 minutes of RF high power directly on the front end of the receiver.
YouTube

Resin casting tips and tricks
I cover some of the techniques that I use to be efficient when I am resin casting.
resin-casting-tips