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The Spectrum Monitor — May, 2017
April 28th, 2017 | 
Author: 
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.
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 155
Low-Cost 10 GHz SSB Receiver
This set-up should be capable of receiving the amateur radio transponder on the geostationary satellite Es’Hail 2 that is expected to be launched in early 2018.
AMSAT UK
FCC proposes huge fine on New York Police radio jammer
The FCC has proposed a fine of more than $400,000 on a Queens, New York, man who has admitted making unauthorized transmissions on New York City Police Department radio frequencies.
ARRL
A better way to put a PL-259 on RG-58 coax
A soldering technique that seems to simplify assembly of PL-259s with RG-58 cable.
KB6NU
Tracking North Korean Numbers
The announcements typically take between 5 to 10 minutes to read dependent on the number of digits passed.
K2DLS
How to survive the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017
We’re just 18 weeks away from the “Great American Total Solar Eclipse” that will darken skies across the continental U.S. on Aug. 21. Are you ready for it?
space.com
Apollo 16, 45th Anniversary Special Event
Apollo 16 was the first mission to visit the lunar highlands. John Young and Charles Duke spent 71 hours on the surface
NN4SA
Mastr 3 UHF Low Pass Filter Testing
One piece I see myself being able to use elsewhere is the final low-pass filters from the power amplifiers.
The Life of Kenneth
Morsum Magnificat available for free download
The Morse Magazine, otherwise known as “MM”, contained a vast amount of information and illustrations of interest to Morse operators.
Southgate
Packet Pad app
Packet Pad lets you view Packet Radio transmissions on your iOS device.
Packet Pad
Video
Locating HF Interference in the home
After walking around with a portable receiver and failing to find the source, all house power was turned off and the interference was gone. You won’t believe the eventual culprit!
YouTube
Installing A Mag Mount On A Fiberglass RV Roof
The Motorhome Ham Station starts to come along.
K6UDA Radio
Our hats off to Bob Heil K9EID
If you follow Bob Heil’s show Ham Nation you’ve surely noticed that he’s taken a keen interest in reviving the Amateur Radio tradition of project building. Here is Ham Nation episode 292 where they walk through an easy pine board power supply project:
There’s no better way to learn than by doing. Luckily, we’re experiencing a real renaissance in kit building and general tinkering. It’s a great trend!
If you haven’t taken the time to subscribe to Ham Nation’s YouTube channel, head on over and check it out. It’s well worth your time!
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 154
Emergency communications driving increase in Ham Radio operators
Hams standing by and ready to help during disasters or other events.
Emergency Management
Tornado siren hack came via radio frequency
Our system is not software related and on a computer. It’s a radio system.
The Dallas Observer
World Amateur Radio Day is April 18th
Celebrating Amateur Radio’s contribution to society.
ARRL
Portable mini paddle for the Elecraft KX line as a kit
The building experience was just fine.
VA2SS
North Korea broadcasts numbers station as nuclear test looms
Pyongyang is reportedly broadcasting encrypted messages reminiscent of those used to contact spies during the Cold War.
The National Interest
Russian Buzzer disappears
The Russian buzzer on 6998.0 kHz has disappeared.
Southgate
International Girls in ICT Day
An initiative that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of ICTs.
ITU
Heat shrink tubing and the chemistry behind its magic
Heat shrink tubing was a product of the Cold War era.
Hack A Day
Video
Install TQSL and load existing certificate on Raspberry Pi 3
If you already have a TQSL callsign cert on your existing computer, this is for you.
K0PIR
QRPP (less than 1 watt) QSO
Using my homebuilt 1Watter transceiver from kitsandparts.com for a QSO on 40m tonight was a bit tough.
Ham Radio QRP
Amateur Station Logging
Episode 18 addresses log books and logging, including when to log and not to log.
Ask Dave
Flevo shortwave station is silent
With its four powerful transmitters and 17 directional aerials it distributed thousands of Radio Netherlands Worldwide radio programs.
Vimeo
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 153
First transceiver with built-in FreeDV
“All Ham Band” RS-918SSB HF SDR Transceiver offers FreeDV as an operating mode.
marxy.org
Digital Amateur Television from the International Space Station
In principle, the HamVideo DATV transmitter is permanently transmitting from Columbus, the European ISS module.
AMSAT-ON
Same-band “Dueling CQs” now prohibited in all ARRL Contests
ARRL has clarified its contest rules to clearly prohibit the practice of interleaved CQs.
ARRL
Keeping New Radio Hams
Crucially, the Camb-Hams have no committee, no finances (so no subscription), and any amateur who wants to call him/herself a ‘Camb-Ham’ is automatically a member.
Southgate
Irony
The FCC is requiring radio amateurs be at least 1 km from electric power transmission lines using Power Line Carrier (PLC) systems on those bands.
Radio Artisan
RF Propagation Analytics
See which bands are open now.
The University of Alabama
GNU Radio decoder for AO-73
The modulation that the FUNcube satellites use is DBPSK at 1200baud. The coding is based on a CCSDS concatenated code with a convolutional code and Reed-Solomon, but it makes extensive use of interleaving to combat the fading caused by the spin of the spacecraft.
destevez.net
Video
Decapsulating a ceramic integrated circuit
Decapsulation (decapping) a ceramic integrated circuit to get at the die is easy with MAP gas.
YouTube
Standing Inside a broadcast transmitter while it’s on
See inside a Gates BC-250-GY broadcast transmitter from the 40’s era.
Mr. Carlson’s Lab
The Spectrum Monitor — April, 2017
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.
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 152
New Bands! FCC Issues Rules for 630 & 2,200 Meters
The FCC on March 28 adopted rules that will allow secondary Amateur Radio access to 472-479 kHz (630 meters) and to 135.7-137.8 kHz (2,200 meters).
ARRL
Three killed after storm chasers crash while pursuing tornado
A few miles west of Spur, Tex., three storm chasers died while tracking a tornado when their two vehicles collided at a rural intersection on Tuesday afternoon.
Washington Post
Global HF Pirate Weekend: March 30-April 2
The SWLing Post
Getting Started In Amateur Radio Data Modes
We will discuss the rationale for operating amateur radio data modes, the pros and cons as they apply to the off grid ham, and factors to consider before getting started.
Off Grid Ham
Review: Bioenno Power LiFePo4 Batteries
I’ve been using Bioenno’s 9aH LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) for over a year now with great success – even to power my 100 watt rig.
K5ACL
New power distribution kit build
I would highly recommend this power distribution center kit to anyone interested in learning what goes into making one and as a side benefit save a bit of money.
The Real Rich Hand
Make a 2.4 GHz Yagi with paper clips and popsicle sticks
It’s more like a 2.4 GHz field strength meter. The board on the antenna beam is a SparkFun ESP8266 Thing, which includes an Arduino-compatible microcontroller and a WiFi interface.
KB6NU
Video
Add an On The Air LED to Kenwood MC60 Desktop Mic
toddfun.com
Documentary: The DXer and the Technician
This true story is about two amateur radio operators who have been friends for over 35 years.
VA2PV
Essex 2 meter activity afternoon
Much of the activity is in FM and via the GB3DA repeater at Danbury. However there is also activity using CW, SSB, SSTV and other digital modes.
YouTube
CW (Morse Code) QSO on 30m
The key is an old Navy Flameproof straight key.
YouTube
