AmateurRadio.com

Stories you’ll find in our August, 2017 issue:

Rocky Mountain Ham Radio Microwave Backbone and DMR Repeater Network
By Wayne Heinen N0POH

The Rocky Mountain Ham Radio deployed analog repeater sites all along the Front Range of Colorado and had been linking them via the Internet for years. Due to the cost and reliability factors of commercial Internet, the club had been looking for a ham radio spectrum-based transport method for their IP needs which have been steadily growing over the years. What was needed was a digital link that could be created between the various mountain top sites, an IP based network of their own design that would be controlled by the club. Wayne explains how they did it.

Intro to Scanning Today
By Bob Grove W8JHD

The requirements of scanner listeners have been changing since the very first radios capable of tuning the public service bands were manufactured. While some analog scanners available today are still useful, many listener in more urban areas need significant upgrades to their listening posts to continue listening. Bob explains which radios are best for each technology today.

TSM Reviews: W4OP Loop Antenna
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL

Last year Thomas caught a bug: the National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) bug. He found NPOTA the perfect excuse to play radio outdoors. From August to December 2016, he activated ninety-one NPOTA National Parks running QRP (low power). To do so he needed a stand-alone antenna small enough to set up easily, rugged enough to do so many times and capable enough to make contacts from some very remote spots. The W4OP loop filled the bill.

Using Weak Signal Modes for Propagation, RFI, and Antenna Analysis
By Robert Gulley AK3Q

Digital mode operating has changed everything for many hams looking for a way around the disappearing solar cycle. WSJT-X weak-signal software, which includes JT65, JT9, MSK144, JT8 and other specialized transmission modes for moonbounce, meteor scatter and aircraft scatter has extended two-way amateur communications on bands that otherwise might not be used. Robert has also discovered that these programs are an excellent resource for identifying and studying propagation, Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and antenna characteristics.

US TV Channel Assignments: Part 3
By Mike Kohl

This third installment in the series on the repacking of the TV band continues with the identification of significant communities within each designated marketing area (DMA). Markets numbering from 151 to 248 are covered this month.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Winnebago County (IL), Broward County (FL)

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
Watching the Eclipse with a Radio

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Honey, I Shrunk the Loop

Digital Voice
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Feels Like the First Time

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
RG-6: It’s Still a Steel

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Connection Complications: Troubleshooting 101

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Coronal Mass Ejection Science

World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVW
The Use and Abuse of SINPO

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Radio from Four Continents via Shortwave and Internet

Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
New Callisto Devices

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
630-Meter Band Plan Takes Shape

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Heathkit HG-10B VFO

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Stealth: A Philosophy and a Methodology

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, 2017 issue:

TSM Reviews: Yaesu FTM-100 DR: Amateur Friendly Digital Operating
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

In 2013, Yaesu developed System Fusion, a format that retains backwards compatibility for analog along with FDMA-based digital communications. With the FTM-100DR, Yaesu has managed to create an affordable radio that integrates both analog FM and their C4FM digital modes into one package that accommodates digital users, while still keeping the analog FM crowd connected.

Early Radio Broadcasting: Publicity Stunts and Unusual Broadcasts
By John Schneider W9FGH

In the early years of radio, broadcasters were eager to explore the frontiers of the medium and found themselves in a continual series of “radio firsts,” similar to modern attempts to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records. To attract listeners, early stations sought new ways to make “radio history” by transmitting something that had never been heard before—weddings, broadcasts at sea, in the air, even under the water. In many cases such broadcasts served no purpose but to entertain and fascinate.

Using Weak Signals Software to Reach for the Sky
By Robert Gulley AK3Q

Many have no doubt heard of renowned physicist Joe Taylor K1JT, or at least JT65 or JT9 software. But weak signal mode software has progressed leaps and bounds since the introduction of these modes only a few short years ago, thanks in part to some great contributions from people around the world. The WSJT-X suite of software represents the outgrowth of these modes, and its latest incarnation, v. 1.70, has added even greater capabilities.

FCC Rewrites some Rules for CB/FRS/GMRS/MURS and Amateur Radio
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

The FCC has recently released its Report and Order (R&O) regarding amendments to Parts 2, 15, 80, 90, 97 and 101 of the Commissions rules concerning, in part, CB, FRS/GMRS and amateur radio. We take a look at how these rules might affect your operating (spoiler alert: there’s still no sound effects or music allowed on CB!).

TV Band Re-packing Report: New Channel Assignments by TV Market
By Mike Kohl

Information has continued to be released by the FCC on the repacking of TV channel frequencies across the US. This has given Mike the opportunity to create some listings by TV market on what the local spectrum should look like at the end of the process. In this installment, TV markets are listed starting with the largest number of viewers in each market. New York, Los Angeles and Chicago top the listings, and this month we cover from Market #1 to #57 (Richmond, Virginia).

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Details on Whistler’s Legacy Scanner Upgrade Offer

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Federal Use of Wireless VoIP

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
Historic NSS Call Sign Returns to the Air

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
The DV Landscape in Xenia, Ohio

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
TW Antennas and 6-Meters: Part Two

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Six-Meter Success: You Don’t Need Much!

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Over-the-Top and Cord-Cutting: Part 2

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Summer Tropospheric Propagation and VHF DX

World of Shortwave Listening
By Andrew Yoder
Pirate Shortwave Radio Mysteries

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Changes in International Shortwave Broadcasting

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Portable Amateur Radio Satellite Antennas in Action

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Next Up: 2200-Meters

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Restoring a Heathkit DX-60 Transmitter

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Closer to Daylight: Antennas at VHF and UHF

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, 2017 issue:

TSM Reviews: QRP Labs Ultimate 3S Transmitter Kit
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

It’s the old radio conundrum: Is the band dead or is it that no one is listening? This month Mark looks at a beacon transmitter kit that lets you see just how active the band really is. The QRP Labs Ultimate 3S transmitter uses Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) Frequency Shift-Keying (FSK) transmissions in beacon mode that can be received by receivers around the world set up to send back reports on a central reporting site on the Web. Mark puts this kit through its paces.

Tuning Out? History and Legacy of Longwave Broadcasting in Europe
By Georg Wiessala
Longwave broadcasting seems to be a relic from radio’s infancy. While its future is uncertain, during an era of Internet streaming and satellite beaming, it continues to hang on. Georg examines the history of longwave and explains why countries “disinvesting in AM broadcast radio make a shortsighted decision—losing an important channel for media diplomacy and international communications abroad.”

TSM Reviews: DX Engineering HF Portable TW Antennas
By Joe Lynch N6CL
TSM VHF and Above columnist, Joe Lynch N6CL, lives in a very restrictive neighborhood but, as an active ham on HF, that’s not deterred him from enjoying the radio hobby to its fullest. Joe wanted to see how well DX Engineering’s DXE-TW-2010-P 20 through 10 meters portable antenna would work—given his QTH. Find out why he says these antennas are, “worth the cost, considering the practicality they provide.”
DRM—Digital Radio Mondiale Spectrum within a Spectrum
By John Piliounis SV1OCS
Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) has been around since 1998 and has slowly found acceptance on HF as well as the FM band. But, the lack of affordable, capable receivers has hampered its success. John Piliounis takes a look at the technical side of this open-sourced, international digital radio format that can coexist with analog signals broadcast from the same tower.

Results of FCC Incentive Auction and Repacking of US TV Spectrum
By Mike Kohl
The results are in from the FCC’s massive TV band incentive auction and now the 39-month process begins in which some stations will go off the air; others will go off the air but join another station in the market to show up on a sub-channel, while others will move from UHF to VHF TV band. Mike explains it all.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Charlotte County (FL) and Dallas County (IA)

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Shifts in Federal Trunked Radio Systems

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
New Insights into North Korean “Numbers”

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Feeling Like a Kid Again

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Kenwood’s New TH-D74

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
The Truth about Lightning: Most of us are Unprepared!

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Cord-Cutting Update: Options for you FTA Satellite and OTA-TV Systems

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Setting it Straight…

World of Shortwave Listening
By Jeff White
The Shortwave Scene in the Middle East

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Korea (North and South) on SW; New BBC Programming

Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
1420 MHz Band Interference

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Introducing a New Band: 630 Meters!

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Philco 48-360: Last of the “Woody” Portables

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Balanced Feedline: Ace in the Hole

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 April, 2017 issue:

Going Portable with Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF

Low solar cycle productivity and plummeting propagation got you down? Keith tells us that the sky’s the limit when you start operating the amateur radio satellites. It’s a low-power mode that is also versatile. But, don’t worry, working the AMSATs doesn’t require a lot of room at home, can be fairly inexpensive to set up and you can take this part of the hobby on the road too!

Community Emergency Response Teams: Are You Ready for a Disaster?
By Alan M. Vigeant N6HPO

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a nationwide volunteer program supported by FEMA that educates people about disaster preparedness for natural and man-made hazards that may impact their lives when least expected. CERT classes are offered free to the public and go hand in hand with amateur radio training. Alan tells us how effective CERT is and how we can all help.

Outernet Update: Free, One-Way Internet Now Via L-Band Satellite
By Kenneth Barbi

Outernet is the low cost, one-way Internet service that delivers radio and news feeds to nearly the entire planet for free via L-band satellite. Designed to meet the minimal needs of those without modern infrastructure (grid power and Internet access), all you need to start taking advantage of this service is a $79 kit that includes antenna, LNA, SDR radio and CHIP single-board computer. Kenneth Barbi has the latest update on this evolving service.

Computers and Ham Radio: Part 010
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

From the Radio Shack TRS-80 to the Apple II, to IBM’s first PC and the inevitable first PC clone, personal computing started out as an expensive device with very limited capability. From its initially slow start in the 1970s, Cory takes us through the fits and starts of the second phase of this fledgling industry that would change the radio hobby forever.

Motorized Ku-Band Satellite Reception
By Mike Kohl

There are dozens of Ku-band satellites in the skies over every part of the world. And, while Free-to-Air satellite TV systems are very inexpensive, you miss most of the action by not being able to steer your dish from satellite to satellite. But, not all small dish motors are the same. Mike shows us the best way to motorize your own FTA satellite system.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Marin County (CA), North Dakota and Radio Shack Bankruptcy (Again)

Federal Wavelenghts
By Chris Parris
Federal Aviation Administration

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
New Life Evolves on MARS

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
The Ground We Talk On

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
New Radios and Antennas for VHF and Above

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Morse Code: The Original Digital Mode is Still Hanging On

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Baseball on the Radio: 1921 and 2017

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
An Ice Age and Disappearing Sunspots?

World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3VBW
Radio Australia: A Possible Return?

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
VOA at 75; WBCQ, RRI, and RNZI

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
A System for a System

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Turning the Tables: Reverse Beacon Network

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Philco 46-350: The “Tambour Door” Portable

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
HF Antenna “Comfort Zone”

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 March, 2017 issue:

TSM 2017 Air Show Preview
By Brian and Jo Marie Topolski

Get ready to experience high-performance jet teams, prop planes, WWI and II aircraft, parachute jump teams, wing-walkers, helicopters, jet-powered trucks, boats and fascinating static displays In all manner of combinations, these components are designed to thrill, enlighten and inspire. Veteran air show attendees, Brian and Jo Marie Topolski, tell you what to expect, what to bring and how to position yourself to get the most out of the show. Don’t forget to bring your camera and scanner!

Blue Angels and Thunderbird Crashes Mar 2016 Air Show Season
By Kevin Burke

2016 was a trying year for air shows, with both of the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels having crashes on the same day. While the Thunderbird pilot was able to eject to safety the Blue Angels pilot, Captain Jeffrey M. Kuss, USMC, was killed as he was starting a practice demonstration in Smyrna, Tennessee. Kevin takes a closer look at the mishaps.

Frequency Guide to Air Show Monitoring
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW

Milcom specialist and aeronautical radio author, Larry Van Horn N5FPW, gives us all the frequencies we’ll need to monitor air shows this season. He writes, “With a radio scanner in hand, you will experience a whole new perspective of the show that few attendees will get to experience—radio communications from the aircraft cockpit of the show performers.” Even if you don’t go to an air show this season, you can use these frequencies to monitor what’s happening in the air all around where you live.

ADS-B Monitoring with a Raspberry Pi
By Stan Nelson KB5VL

TSM’s Amateur Radio Astronomy columnist goes near-space as he shows us how to monitor Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transmissions from aircraft flying over your house within a 200-mile radius using a dedicated Raspberry Pi computer and an ADS-B antenna.

2017 Air Show Schedule
There’s an air show coming to your area of the US and Canada this season. TSM presents the schedules of some of the more popular air show participants including, USAF Thunderbirds, USN Blue Angels, US Army Golden Knights, RCAF Snowbirds, RCAF C-18 Hornet, and Goulin Aerosports.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
A Look at OpenSky and Scanning Counties from Indiana and Virginia

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Scanning Super Bowl 51

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
DVA: Now They’re Talking

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Do You Already Own a Digital Repeater?

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
SDRs, Free Books and Ham Radio at West Point

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Talk This Way!

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
TSM Reviews: Como Audio Duetto Wi-Fi Radio

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
The Ionosonde

World of Shortwave Listening
By Keith Perron
Not the Last of Radio Australia

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Eclectic Programming is Everywhere!

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Amateur Radio Satellite Gatherings Plus AMSAT Update

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
The Longwave-Aviation Legacy

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
A 1940 Bakelite Radio: Zenith 6D510W

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Transitions: Getting from A to B (or 50 to X)

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 January, 2017 issue:

Living the Shortwave Broadcasting Dream at WTWW
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF

Ted Randall WB8PUM is a lucky guy. Every day he gets to play radio with some pretty big transmitters and some very large antennas. What’s more, his whole family gets to play too. And at night, after work, he gets to play some more! Keith Baker tells us all about the radio engineer behind the mic at the “QSO Radio Show,” Tuesday evenings on 5.085 MHz shortwave.

SteppIR BigIR MK IV: Going to Great Lengths
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

In limited spaces, the vertical has become the go-to antenna for many installations. They seem like a perfect solution; footprints are small, and simple radial systems are easy to hide in the turf. Verticals also exhibit lower angles of radiation, making them perfect for DX work. The SteppIR BigIR stands out as an alternative, providing a system that will mechanically create a quarter wave vertical on any of the major ham bands–even MARS frequencies.

Going Mobile with SDR
By Robert Gulley AK3Q

There are a number of reasons to go mobile with an SDR, not the least of which is the adventure factor! Every new place offers new listening opportunities; it is a bit like fingerprints in that no two locations are exactly the same. Every location offers something different, and with the wide-ranging capabilities of the SDR there are always new things to hear. Robert shows us what to bring along, how to hook up to power and an antenna. It’s easier than you might think!

The Extra Punch of SSB on CB
By Cory Sickles

In recent months, Cory has spent a good deal of time on the VHF and UHF aspects of Citizens Band, but CB is thought of more for what goes on at 27 MHz. To be sure, the core HF allocation is where the majority of CB users start and where they stay. As a simple option to enter the two-way radio hobby, it’s hard to beat. But that doesn’t mean the world of CB has to be limited to 4 watts of amplitude modulation. Cory explains what happens when CB goes SSB.

Basics of Motorized Satellite Reception: Part 1
By Mike Kohl

Free-to-Air satellite-TV enthusiasts get the most out of their systems, whether they’re Ku-only or C/Ku-Band big-dish systems, when they are motorized. But, moving small dishes or big dishes requires the right sort of motor and proper connections. Mike shows us how it’s done in Part 1.

Klingenfuss Utility Monitoring Book
By Bob Grove W8JHD

For several decades, Joerg Klingenfuss has been the consummate publisher of radio frequency directories on a global basis. His latest offerings include frequency guides, databases and CDs, code books, signal sound CDs, a frequency list for the Perseus SDR, screen-shots on a USB stick, and Internet web pages. Bob Grove takes a look at this extensive new collection.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
New Digital Modes for Some Scanners

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
A New Year In Federal Monitoring

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
U. of Twente WebSDR Featured in Popular Video

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
The Advantages of DMR on VHF

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Aurorasaurus.org: Aurora Tracking in Real Time

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
A Vertical in Winter

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
FTA Satellite TV Part II: “Hidden” Signals on Satellite TV

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Solar Cycle 24 Downgraded (Again)

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Jeff White
HFCC B16 Coordinating Conference in Miami and Okeechobee

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Radio Australia Leaves Shortwave

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
The Old and the New

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
More LW Information Sources and Readers’ LW Logs

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Hallicrafters S-38B: the UL-Approved Basket Case

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Sunspots Maybe, Part 2: Hey, Dan, What About Stealth?

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 December, 2016 issue:

The Coast Guard Cutter Courier: “A Cold War-era Battleship without Guns”
By John Schneider W9FGH

The Voice of America operated a unique shipboard radio broadcasting facility on the medium wave and shortwave bands in the Mediterranean Sea from 1952 to 1964. The US Coast Guard Cutter Courier was a seagoing Cold War shipboard broadcaster, which preceded the famous pirate radio ships of the 1960s and 70s and was the home to the most powerful transmitter ever operated aboard a ship. But, it was not always smooth sailing. There were complications with the 900-foot balloon-tethered medium wave antenna and constant jamming from Russian-based transmitters.

Experiences of a (Relatively) Young Ham with Vintage Radios
By W. Eric McFadden WD8RIF

While the author has been a licensed ham for 38 years, he’s relatively young. And, since most of his operating gear is modern, he’s fairly new to vintage radio. He writes that he wanted to experience what the hobby was like for earlier generations and he felt the contagion of many of his close amateur radio friends who are quite into vacuum tube-era gear. He’s apparently a quick study because now he has some good-looking vintage gear in his shack, including a Heathkit HW-16 and a Drake 2-NT transmitter and 2-C receiver as well as tube-fired 6-meter gear. He’s definitely hooked!

Beware the Mods: Drake 2NT Transmitter
By Rich Post KB8TAD

Longtime vintage radio guru, Rich Post KB8TAD, helps Eric McFadden restore his Drake 2-NT transmitter and shows the rest of us some of the things he does to give vintage radio gear new life. Here’s a hint: It’s not easy and it helps to have good diagnostic equipment, skills to operate that equipment and many decades of understanding the variables of tube-technology.

Shortwave Listening with the “Old-Timers”
By Eric Beheim

Growing up in the 1950s and listening to his grandfather’s 1936 23-tube Scott All-Wave console shortwave radio was a pretty good start for young Eric Beheim. That’s why today, Eric likes to listen to the shortwave bands on number of vintage shortwave radios, including a 1936 Hallicrafters S-20R Sky Champion and a 1942 Zenith model 7G605 Transoceanic “Clipper” among others. Listening is not as easy as you might think. Eric writes, “Most older radios lack the sensitivity, selectivity, and stability that we take for granted in our modern sets. But that’s what makes monitoring with the ‘old timers’ both challenging and exciting.”

A Salute to the Esteemed Regenerative Receiver
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Fifty years ago, a teenage Richard Fisher, sporting his Novice call, WN1DWL, found he was at loose ends during his high school winter break. What better way to pass the time than to build a regenerative receiver that he could use to cover the ham bands from 160 through 10 meters? It was a project financially within reach of “a broke 16 year-old.” Years later, while he still had the rig, it had fallen victim to the ravages of time and “parts scrounging.” Now, Richard thought, what better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that little radio than to restore it to its full regenerative glory?

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Holiday Radio Logs

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
Russia to Activate Arctic OTH Radar in 2017

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
What Digital HF Signals can you Hear and Decode Today?

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Holiday Wish List

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
ARISS: A Brief Flyover and My Experiences with ARISS QSOs

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
The Hows and Whys of DIY Open-Wire Feed Line

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Getting Started with Free-to-Air Satellite TV

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Plasma Bullets

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVW
On the Road with a Tecsun PL-680

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Christmas Around the World on Shortwave

Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Amateur Radio Satellite Operating Protocols

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Resources: What’s On Your Bookshelf?

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
The Heathkit Laboratory-type Signal Generators: LG-1 and IG-42

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Sunspot Maybe: Surviving without Upper HF

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.