AmateurRadio.com

Stories you’ll find in our December, 2018 edition:

The Beginnings of FM Radio Broadcasting
By John F. Schneider W9FGH

We take broadcasting on the FM band for granted today, but getting to this point required early proponents of FM broadcasting to fight every step of the way. Among FM foes were the giants of AM broadcasting; the emerging powers behind television; that rascal David Sarnoff of RCA; even the FCC itself and the fact that there were only 25 FM receivers in the entire world. John explains all the things you don’t know about FM radio (including the fact that Edwin Armstrong didn’t invent that method of modulation—by a long shot) and how FM almost died in the aftermath of World War II.

The EICO story; the Electronic Instrument Company and its Kits
By Rich Post KB8TAD

Founded in 1945 by Harry R. Ashley, with an investment of $1,500, EICO was a competitor of Heathkit and Allied Knight-kits in the heyday of kit-built test equipment, audio products and ham gear. All those kits are now in the nostalgia category, but because they were well documented, mostly put together with screws rather than rivets, they can still be repaired and used. In fact, Rich tells us that some of the ham and audio gear and certain useful pieces of test equipment have become quite collectible. Rich also explains how, despite a shift to consumer electronics audio gear, like Heathkit and Allied Radio, EICO never made it past the computer era.

Classic Rock Era is Alive on Shortwave
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

There’s something about Classic Rock music that just won’t fade. And, anyone who remembers shortwave radio programming in the 1970s and 80s, knows that rock music was readily found on the shortwave bands from the BBC and VOA’s regular music programming to private American shortwave stations such as WRNO “The Rock of New Orleans,” and Radio New York Worldwide. But thanks to programming on WTWW, WRMI, Radio New Zealand International and the Mighty KBC, the bands are alive once more with the pulsing sounds of Classic Rock.

BCB DX’ing With That Old Transistor Radio
By Richard Fisher, KI6SN

You have to wonder how many AM transistor radios have been relegated to the back of our junk drawers because “they just don’t work very well.” A reasonable guess would be in the seven figures over the decades. For strong local stations that may be just fine, but for the BCB DXer, the shrinking antennas bring awfully discouraging results. These transistor portables are more prone to local manmade interference as well. Richard shows us an easy and inexpensive solution to this dilemma in a tunable AM broadcast band loop antenna. Follow his step-by-step instructions and make even your transistor radios perform.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Fayette County (GA) and Intro to ULS

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Federal Wavelengths 2018 Wrap Up

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitoring Santa Claus, NORAD and Combat Air Patrols

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
Chasing Italian MF Coastal Stations

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
CubeSats go to Mars

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Complex Simplex

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Confessions of an Autotuner Abuser

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Chasing AM Band DX: Then and Now

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Winter DX is at the Door

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVW
Propagation Tools, Wire Antennas and DX News

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
New Programming from Spain and Greece Plus: Christmas Around the World

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Amateur Radio Satellite Primer (Continued)

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
SDR Startup: It’s a Wrap!

Adventures in Radio Restorations
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Recollecting My First EICO: The 425 Oscilloscope

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
First Antenna: The Selection Process

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Stories you’ll find in our October, 2018 edition:

Tracing the Development of the AM Broadcast Transmitter
John F. Schneider W9FGH

In the Beginning, there was King Spark. There were a few early attempts at using spark equipment to transmit the human voice. This was because a spark signal consists of a continuous sequence of decaying waves, called “damped waves.” The signal faded in intensity as the energy of each spark dissipated, until it was replaced by a new signal from the next spark. In the early 1900s, there were only two devices that were capable of generating a continuous wave – an arc transmitter and a high-frequency alternator. But it was the invention of the “Audion” triode vacuum tube by Lee de Forest in 1906 that created a revolution in radio communications. Its ability to function as both an oscillator and amplifier opened doors to the creation of a practical all-electronic speech transmitter. John takes a detailed look at the evolution of the AM broadcast transmitter.

Has it Really Been a Decade!?
By Troy J. Simpson W9KVR

There’s nothing easy about teaching school anywhere but teaching, coaching, keeping a school amateur radio club going, being a dad and a husband makes time really fly. So much so that Glenn Raymond Middle School teacher, Troy Simpson, hadn’t realized their club station license was already up for renewal until he received the notice from the FCC. Troy recaps just the last few years of this very active and successful amateur radio school club as he prepares this month for another School Club Roundup.

SDR Report Part 3: From High-End SDR Receivers to SDR Transceivers
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL

Part one of our series on Software Defined Radios (SDRs), which appeared in the June issue, focused on the nomenclature and components of a functioning SDR system. Part two, in the July issue, took a look at some affordable SDR station options that would propel you into the world of SDRs for less than $200 US. This month, Thomas dives a little deeper into the SDR rabbit hole, and investigates higher-end SDRs as well as ham radio transceivers with embedded SDRs that include high-ticket rigs that have intel-agency specs and capabilities you won’t find in any analog radio at any price.

A Visit to the Tokyo Ham Fair 2018
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF

Once again, Keith was asked to join the Dayton Amateur Radio Association team in a trip to Japan to attend the annual Tokyo Ham Fair, which is sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL). As Secretary-Treasurer of AMSAT North America, Keith would be doing double duty during this trip. And, as a regular contributor to TSM, Keith nailed the trifecta with this photo essay of that trip. Keith renewed many old acquaintances, got up close and personal with new ham equipment and enjoyed handing out goodies to everyone he saw.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Hialeah, Florida, and a Public Service Radio Feud

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Hurricane Florence Response

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitoring the US Coast Guard and the COTHEN HF Radio Network

Utility World
By Hugh Stegman
US Coast Guard Mobilizes for Hurricane Florence

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
International Space Station Astronauts are Calling CQ Students

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Transmit Audio—How’s Your Sound?

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Viasat: Help for Rural Broadband Access

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Andrew Yoder
US and International Pirate Shortwave Broadcasters

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Creepy October Shortwave Programming

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Stormy Weather and Changing Times

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
SDR, Step One

Adventures in Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Reviving a Comanche: The Siltronix 1011D

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Artificial Ground, Part Two

Radio Horizons
Review: National Radio Club’s 39th Edition AM Radio Log
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Stories you’ll find in our August, 2018 issue:

SHARES: The Federal Government’s Plan-B HF Communications System
By Steve Handler

In the aftermath of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crises, President John F. Kennedy wanted to improve the communications systems that linked the federal agencies. The goal was to provide better interconnectivity and also survivability of the system in the event of war or natural disasters. The result was the National Communications System (NCS). On September 20, 1988, NCS created the SHAred RESources (SHARES) High Frequency (HF) Radio program. This program was tasked with backing up the landline, and later cellular, telephone systems. Current SHARES participants include the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health, and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. Other governmental entities include the Federal Communications Commission, General Services Administration, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Non-governmental organizations include entities such as the American Red Cross. Critical telecommunications infrastructure companies such as AT&T and Verizon also participate in SHARES. Steve explains how it all works.

APRS and other Digital Communications: Part 1
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

While many hams may think of APRS as a mode that has little more to offer than beaconing and radiolocation functions, it is a figurative Swiss Army Knife of utilities that can be of use in contacting other hams while traveling, exchanging quick text messages, satellite communications, email, public service, and many other activities. From the mechanical age of RTTY, with its clacking printers chewing through rolls of paper to the peculiar digital whine of FT8, amateur radio has always been at the forefront of wireless digital communications. Cory explores the various facets of APRS and other non-verbal digital communications in Part 1 by looking first at the history of digital communications starting with the original binary code: CW.

Not the Sounds of Silence: Exploring the ELF and VLF Bands
By Georg Wiesalla

The many (man-made) signals and (nature) sounds in the low frequency regions can travel for thousands of kilometers all around the globe and inside the Earth-Ionosphere waveguide. Therefore, ELF and VLF emissions have been, and are still being studied for a very wide range of military and scientific purposes. They can be found in many areas of science and public life, even in some leisure pursuits including aviation, amateur radio, detection of nuclear explosions, ELF and VLF-range emissions by meteorites, geological mapping, ionospheric research, military communications, radio astronomy, seismic research and under-sea exploration and oceanography. Georg takes us on a journey into radio depths.

Buying New and Used Radio Gear
By Robert Gulley AK3Q

Buying new or used radio equipment can be a daunting task for the experienced radio enthusiast, but even more so for folks new to the hobby. As an avid radio enthusiast and amateur radio operator, Robert has owned many different types of radios and associated radio equipment. From AM/FM broadcast radios to scanners, shortwave radios to amateur gear, and very old radios, to some of the latest SDR equipment, he has purchased gear from many different sources. He has been very fortunate (and yes even lucky) in that very few purchases have been made from less-than-honest people. The few, which were bad experiences, certainly taught him some valuable lessons.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Lenoir County (NC); Missouri Dept. of Conservation

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Nevada Scanner Safari 2018

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Military UHF Traffic Control Frequencies

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
The Silent Summer: US Gets Quieter

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
It’s All About Propagation

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
DV33

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Portable Generators: Test and Enjoy!

Radio 101
Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Monitoring HF Marine Radio During the Tropical Storm Season

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Solar Wind and Coronal Mass Ejections

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVW
FT8, WSPR and the Shortwave Listener

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Health on SW; Canada as DX; BBC Offerings

Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
Cosmic Podcasts; Books, Charts and the National Radio Quiet Zone

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
SDR: You can do it!

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
The Rescue: Drake SPR4 Communications Receiver

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Collinear Array: Multiple Elements in a Single Piece

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Stories you’ll find in our July, 2018 issue:

The Development of Police Radio Communications in the United States
By John F. Schneider W9FGH

Policing in America before the 1920s was done by the beat policeman, who wandered his assigned neighborhood on foot. If he needed to communicate with his precinct officer, he used a street corner police call-box. The Detroit Police Department, led by a visionary police commissioner, was the first to seriously experiment with installing radio receivers in patrol cars, beginning in 1922 with the licensing of its own radio station, KOP. But, although the emerging technology of radio held obvious promise as a means of communication, there were still many shortcomings in its fledgling years that prevented its reliable use in vehicles. John notes the historical issues involved with police broadcasting and the general public tuning in—a nearly one-hundred year-old tradition.

Listening in on the WWI Western Front: The SCR-54A (BC-14A) Receiver
By Rich Post KB8TAD

One hundred years ago, the United States was at war. At the start of the World War I, the US Navy, as authorized by the President, ordered that all private radio transmitters and receivers, whether licensed or unlicensed, be dismantled. The order was not just for the spark transmitters of the day, but even simple hobbyist crystal receiving sets. Rich explores the SCR-54A BC14A , a state-of-the-art WWI radio receiver system, which along with a BC-15A spark transmitter wedged aboard an airplane would allow the pilot to provide reconnaissance from the battlefield. Rich takes a look at this combo, which took serious skills to operate in testing—let alone in battle.

Cheerio: Amateur Radio’s Checkered History at the BBC
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Last fall, with the pomp and ceremony for which Great Britain is so well known, Lord Tony Hall, Baron Hall of Berkenhead, and head of the BBC, cut the ribbon to officially open amateur radio station G8BBC, turning the page to the newest chapter in the British Broadcasting Corporation’s on-again-off-again romance with amateur radio. Richard explains how hams at the BBC have fared over the decades, occupying a thin sliver of real estate, courtesy of the world’s most well known shortwave voice.

TSM Reviews: Palstar LA-1K Solid-State HF Amplifier
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

Since the beginning of ham radio, vacuum tube amplifiers have dominated the market. They’re relatively economical to manufacture, tolerant of abuse, and have some leeway to match antennas that aren’t exactly resonant. More recently, solid-state amplifiers have gained traction among amateur radio operators. They’re instant-on and more convenient—getting you on the air with less operator intervention. Mark examines the Palstar LA-1K solid-state HF amplifier and finds some very positive attributes that come at a stiff price.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Portsmouth (VA), Grant County (WI) and the ISS

Federal Wavelenghts
By Chris Parris
More Federal Digital Modes

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Update: Monitoring Military Hurricane Communications

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
U.S. Radio Strangeness Continues

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Contests and Field Day for VHF and Above

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
When Elephants Fight, it is the Ground that Suffers

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Static and Frustration from DC to Daylight—Welcome to Summer Propagation

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
$664 Solution to Solar Cycle Doldrums

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
The Sun in Sonic and Visual Art: an Aid to Scientists

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL
SDR Primer Part 2: Exploring the World of SDRs for $200 or Less

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
40 Years of Shortwave Listening

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Sailing On

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Ballantine 300 and the Boonton Connection

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Understanding Ground: A Review

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Stories you’ll find in our June, 2018 issue:

SDR Primer Part 1: Introduction to SDRs and SDR applications
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL

Whereas your grandpa’s radio was all hardware––in the form of filters, mixers, amplifiers, and the like––Software Defined Radios are a mix of hardware and software, which typically gives them a “black box” appearance. SDRs typically afford access to a dizzying array of customizable filters, gain controls, noise blankers, digital signal processing (DSP), audio controls, and more. Being able to customize the SDR’s performance and listening experience is simply unsurpassed. In the first part of this series, Thomas focuses on the basic components of an SDR system—multiple virtual receivers; recording tools and Web-based upgrades.

Radio Evolution: From Wooden Boxes to Plug-in Dongles
By Bob Grove W8JHD

In this companion piece to Thomas’ SDR Primer, Bob Grove traces the technological history of radio from tube-based wooden-box radios to solid-state radios employing Large-Scale Integration of components into compact packages. The Software Defined Radio concept was the natural next step in this evolution, affording not just economy of scale in production and superior reception parameters, but affording manufacturers the ability to change those parameters with a software upgrade. Specifically, Bob looks at the WR-DRD-171 digital decoder dongle for the high-end WiNRADiO WR-G39DDC receiver that could make it the ultimate all-band, all-mode receiver.

Uniden BCD436HP vs. Whistler TRX-1 – A TSM Side-by-Side Review
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW

We first reviewed the Uniden BCD536 in the April 2014 issue with an update six months later. As a point of reference, for all practical purposes the BCD536HP and BCD436HP are RF identical which makes the initial review worth reading. Larry’s initial review of the Whistler TRX-1 appeared in the January issue this year, in the same issue Bob Grove wrote the TRX-2 base/mobile review. RF-wise, these radios are very similar. So, after six months of intensive testing side by side and field usage, it is time to look at a comparison of the two companies top-end handhelds.

2018 Hamvention Report
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

Hamvention 2018 has come and gone. It would be easy to sum it up in one word as “Wow!” But that would not do justice to an event that is built upon so much planning, volunteer effort, cooperation from state, county and local law enforcement as well as EMS personnel, Greene County (Ohio) Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Xenia (Ohio) officials, and countless others. Cory takes us on a tour of this year’s Hamvention, with comments about those who were there and those who weren’t.

Echos of Today: A World of Shortwave and BCB listening from ‘Alexa’
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Imagine listening to your favorite shortwave or AM-FM broadcast band station on a receiver about the size and shape of a hockey puck. It has no dials. You have an SWLing assistant whose name is “Alexa: and she is virtual. This is an example of advancing Internet-connected technology known as the “smart speaker,” with capability to please the shortwave and broadcast band listener. Richard gives Alexa his commands and enters a new no-knobs, no-dial world of global radio listening.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Scanning Miami-Dade County, Florida

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Dallas Federal Monitoring

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitor the 380-399.9 MHz Radio Spectrum

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
It’s COTHEN Time Again!

Shortwave Utility Logs
Compiled by Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
A Busy Month; DX Engineering TW Antenna Center Box Cover

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
A Midsummer’s Potpourri

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
The Siren Song of Small Antennas

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Korean Summit via FTA Satellite; The Future of C-Band; Armed Forces Day Crossband Test

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Field Day Fun, Again!

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Andrew Yoder
Remembering WWII-era Clandestine Shortwave Radio Stations

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Proms, DW and BBC Radio Highlights

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Golf-TEE and Golf-1 Get Rides to Space

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Travelogue & Radio Ties

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
The Transition: a Tale of Two Philcos

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Stories you’ll find in our May, 2018 issue:

TSM Reviews: FlexRadio 6400M All-Mode HF+6 Transceiver
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

While computer control has become integrated into amateur radio transceivers in recent years, there is still a substantial faction of amateur radio operators who want to hold onto the traditional buttons and knobs of their radios. FlexRadio’s new additions to the Signature Series give amateurs both options. The base Flex 6400 model is computer controlled, but they’ve also created an M version (M for Maestro) with traditional knobs, buttons and a touch display screen as well. The 6400M is an improved version of the 6300, with better specs, processors, and costs $500 less—at a price tag of $2000. It borrows features from both the 6300 and 6500 (both of which were recently discontinued). Note that the 6400 and 6400M models are identical, with the exception of the Maestro control interface. But, you’ll need to find a little extra table space at the operator’s position—it is bigger than a breadbox, with both the basic 6400 and the M versions have the same footprint and measure 7 x 14 x 13.125 inches. Mark unpacks the details of this modern and very capable HF+6 transceiver

Giving Undersea Cable its Just Deserts – 160 Years Past Due
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Marconi got the hoopla for the first trans-Atlantic wireless communication. His transmission of the Morse letter S sped through the airwaves between the Canadian maritime province of Newfoundland and Cornwall, England, in the waning days of 1901. But 43 years earlier – in 1858 – it was New York businessman Cyrus Field who was the impetus behind the remarkable achievement of the first telegraphy Communications between two continents—Newfoundland to Ireland—under the sea. Why no such accolades for Cyrus in reciting the technological achievements in communication of the mid-19th and early-20th centuries, 160 years ago, no less? Richard dives deep to find an amazing web of undersea cables stretching around the entire globe—an vital part of modern communications.

TSM Reviews: Yaesu FTM-750DR VHF/UHF Transceiver
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

Yaesu recently introduced and is now shipping another System Fusion transceiver – the FTM-7250 mobile. As this month’s installment of Digitally Speaking covers connectors and genders, perhaps the simplest way to describe the ‘7250 is for you to imagine that the FTM-3200 (VHF) and FTM-3207 (UHF) monobanders got together and had a baby. With the April release of the FTM-7250, Yaesu now offers a total of eight radios, with an even split between entry-level transceivers with “core” features and those with advanced-level feature sets. Think about that for a moment. Eight radios, plus two repeaters and two different networking concepts. That’s a fairly diverse selection of equipment – not to mention the various means of third-party support for this DV methodology – that is only four years old, from the time of its full release.

Free-to-Air Satellite-TV List Update
By Mike Kohl

Free-to-Air (FTA) satellite-TV enthusiasts sometimes have a challenge keeping track of satellite names and positions. Throughout the years aerospace companies merge, creating new names for their fleet, or launch a new series of satellites, reflecting advances in technology. This month, Mike has created an updated list for North American FTA viewers covering eastern Atlantic arc satellites from 1.0 degrees West longitude, across our domestic satellite arc, and extending to 166 East, which can be received by those with a 3 to 4 meter C-band dish from unobstructed locations on the West Coast. In addition to updating the list of names to reflect mergers and acquisitions in the industry and new satellites replacing old, Mike gives you tips on aligning fixed and steerable dishes.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Sublette County, Wyoming; Washoe County, Nevada

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
USS Portland HYDRA System

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Military Base Profile: Edwards AFB (KEDW)

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
Doing Battle with STANAG 4285

Shortwave Utility Logs
Compiled by Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
West Point Cadets Launch Two Balloons

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Goes Inta / Goes Outta

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Feed Line Ferrite Chokes—Noise Reduction that Beats the Best DSP?

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Gospell AM/FM/SW/DRM Receiver

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
The Switch in May

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Jeff White, Secretary-Treasurer NASB
Shortwave Broadcasters and Listeners to Meet in Indiana

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Voice of Greece, Radio Tirana, and Country Music on Shortwave

Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
NAVSPASUR Revisited

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Bill Oliver—Quiet Giant of Longwave

Adventures in Radio Restorations
By Rich Post KB8TAD
A Not-so-Scarce Hallicrafters: Model SX-99

Stories you’ll find in our April, 2018 issue:

TSM Reviews: Icom IC-7610
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

At Hamvention 2017, we got our first official peek at the IC-7610. It was billed as the next big thing in amateur radio transceivers, containing a more advanced set of features than the IC-7300. And, it’s loaded: An Ethernet port to run the radio remotely; an onboard RS-BA1 server means no PC or software is required; left and right speaker outputs; USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports; built-in RTTY/PSK on-screen decoder and encoder; TX memory means you can do basic QSO or contest operations without using an external device or software. And that’s just to start! Mark puts this rig through its paces.

‘De-Frankensteining’ Electricity: Life and Work of Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry
By Georg Wiessala

There are significant parallels between the lives and careers of Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry: They lived in times when gases and electricity fascinated people and were among the first to work by scientific method, through controlled experiments and experimental science. More generally, both researchers were born in poverty and seriously troubling family backgrounds. Both were apprenticed at a young age, both became eminent scientists and outstanding science communicators, educators and lecturers. Georg examines the lives of these two giants of electricity.

Facing the Challenge of Making Ends Meet at Nonprofit Radio Stations
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

The world of Low Power FM (LPFM) radio is a far cry from the well-heeled world of their distant cousins—powerful noncommercial radio stations in big cities. Instead of feasting on highly organized quarterly fundraisers that can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars, LPFMs can often be heard pleading for day-to-day funds to fix air conditioners, CD players, even transmitters. Richard looks into this seldom reported part of American radio.

Yaesu FTM-3207DR
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

While prototypes of the FTM-3207 were shown at the Dayton Hamvention in 2017, it was not until nearly the end of the year that the radios started shipping. This happened for several reasons – not the least of which was the reveal of System Fusion II – with new features, a new repeater and upgraded firmware for existing radios. Understandably, upgrading and enhancing the “System” part of System Fusion took precedence over the release of a new radio. The upside is that when the FTM-3207 was released, it had some unexpected and welcome new features making it fully System Fusion II- ready and then some. Cory takes a look at the Yaesu FTM-3207 and speculates on the future of Digital Voice on the VHF/UHF amateur bands.

Channel Master’s New Over-the-Air TV Tuner/DVR with Interactive On-Screen Guide
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

The landscape has been ripe for a digital OTA-TV tuner with recording capabilities and interactive guide. Channel Master has previously released similar products, which we have reviewed in years past, but in order to compete with TiVo or an Over-the-Top (OTT) device such as Roku and deliver a more cable/satellite-type viewing experience, Internet connectivity would be required. That brought the company to launch its latest effort in March—the CM-7600 Stream+ Media Player, an OTA-TV/Internet set-top box. We take a look at how this new Channel Master product works today.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
DeKalb County, Illinois and New Additions to P-25 Phase II

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Software Defined Radio and Federal Monitoring

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
225-400 MHz Military Aircraft Band Overview

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
Whew! (Busy Month on the Radio)

Shortwave Utility Logs
Compiled by Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
The Lyrids Meteor Shower

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Analog FM – Half Off

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
You Can’t Keep a Good Antenna Down

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Baseball on the Radio 2018

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
How to Beat the Low Sunspot Numbers

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVD
A Little Knowledge of Propagation Can Really Help!

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Blues on Shortwave; BBC Programming for April

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Radio Active Spring

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
PIM/272 is Back (Sort of)!

Adventures in Radio Restorations
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Hallicrafters S-85: Another Scarce Model

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Move Toward the Light: Antennas Above 144 MHz, Part One

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