In this episode, Linux in the Ham Shack takes you a journey into sight and sound. Well, mostly sound. Topics include operating below 500kHz, new stuff in WSJT-X, an open letter from a young ham to the curmudgeons in the room, Ham Radio Deluxe being nefarious again, Ubuntu 16.10 with Budgie, a useful Debian utility, contributing to Open Source as a newbie (or oldbie) and much more.

We also send our thoughts and condolences to the young daughter, family and friends of Matthew Williams, Lord Drachenblut, KD9BWJ. He passed away much too young on December 6, 2016, after a long struggle against cancer. We miss you, brother.

73 de The LHS Crew

Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

I’ve finished work for the remainder of the year and its a good time to take stock. I had a lot of plans, most of which didn’t happen as a result of some over optimism on the planning front so what went wrong. Well not much in fact when it comes to radio. I did however sneak a little progress here or there but its been barren for a few months. Before we get into new years resolutions I think its worth noting what did go on….

1. I bought a MTR-5B rig which has had a few outings and a couple of QSO’s. Lovely bit of kit by the way.
2. Practiced my CW a lot off air. Not so much on air.
3. I acquired a TS-850 as well. Very nice
4. I spent a bit of time perfecting the Raspberry Pi / RTL Dongle iGate. Pleased with that because I’m not that great with Linux.
5. I am typing this on a PC loaded with Ubuntu. In an attempt to learn a bit more about Linux.
6. Bought a FT-817. I really missed the old one for VHF contesting (get which section I prefer)
7. Built a towbar mounted decorating pole mast. Well prototyped one at least.
8. Attempted to programme an Arduino to display a load of GPS data. This is definitely in the work in progress tray.
9. Did programme an Arduino to decode morse
10. Wrote a piece for RSGB on the SatNOGS project we did at the club. May or may not get published

………….hang on this list is getting longer than I though it would

I suspect I’m not alone in this but looking back in the log I have not had a QSO in a few months other than on a repeater or as part of a contest. I thought that this meant I hadn’t really done much. But the reality is that, probably like quite a few, there are a more pressures on your time than you think there are. It just so happened that when this relaxed and I turned the rig on, conditions were down the khazi.

So Happy Christmas, Happy New Year and all that. Remember hams don’t just make QSO’s.

Alex Hill, G7KSE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, UK. Contact him at [email protected].

Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.

I couldn't hold out any longer! The sight of a full-moon rising over the ocean a few nights ago was just too difficult to resist ... I would have to spark-up my 2m mini moonbounce system and see what was happening.






The QSLs are now all in from my last eme adventures in the early summer, bringing my total number of contacts to 80.

RW1AY used an 8 x 15el cross-polarized array

EA4CQ's 4 x 9el DK4ZB yagis

YU7AA's 8 x 13el nested array

NC2V used a 4 x 20el cross-polarized array

VE1KG's 4 x 17el yagi array

DK5SO used four 20' long yagis and 750W

My simple system uses a single 9el m2 yagi and an old third-hand 140W brick amplifier and built-in GaAsFET preamp. The yagi is mounted atop my 50' tower and fed with about 100' of RG-213 cable, along with its 2+ db of loss.

Looking directly out over the saltwater of Georgia Strait seems to provide the near theoretical 'sea-gain' of 6db, making the little yagi behave more like a box of four in terms of gain. As well, there are no noise sources when pointing out over the water at the rising moon. Not being able to elevate the antenna means 'moonrises' only, and usually gives me about 90 minutes per session before the moon gets too high.

Last night was surprisingly active, mostly with U.S. stations, as it was still early evening here but there were also several early-rising Europeans on the band.

One outstanding signal was from a station I had not worked before, OK1DIG, who was running a 4 x 15 element yagi array. I called him a few times when his signal was easily audible (-15db) but he seemed to only hear me later, replying to one of my 'CQ's, with his signal starting to drop here. This is often the case on 2m eme as a reciprocal two-way path is not always the rule. He was my only contact of the evening (#81) but also heard were K9SLQ, UT3MD, PA3FYC, all of whom I have yet to work.

OK1DIG's audible JT65B CQs

With another favorable moonrise tonight, albeit over an hour later, another go will be hard to resist!
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

I couldn't hold out any longer! The sight of a full-moon rising over the ocean a few nights ago was just too difficult to resist ... I would have to spark-up my 2m mini moonbounce system and see what was happening.






The QSLs are now all in from my last eme adventures in the early summer, bringing my total number of contacts to 80.

RW1AY used an 8 x 15el cross-polarized array

EA4CQ's 4 x 9el DK4ZB yagis

YU7AA's 8 x 13el nested array

NC2V used a 4 x 20el cross-polarized array

VE1KG's 4 x 17el yagi array

DK5SO used four 20' long yagis and 750W

My simple system uses a single 9el m2 yagi and an old third-hand 140W brick amplifier and built-in GaAsFET preamp. The yagi is mounted atop my 50' tower and fed with about 100' of RG-213 cable, along with its 2+ db of loss.

Looking directly out over the saltwater of Georgia Strait seems to provide the near theoretical 'sea-gain' of 6db, making the little yagi behave more like a box of four in terms of gain. As well, there are no noise sources when pointing out over the water at the rising moon. Not being able to elevate the antenna means 'moonrises' only, and usually gives me about 90 minutes per session before the moon gets too high.

Last night was surprisingly active, mostly with U.S. stations, as it was still early evening here but there were also several early-rising Europeans on the band.

One outstanding signal was from a station I had not worked before, OK1DIG, who was running a 4 x 15 element yagi array. I called him a few times when his signal was easily audible (-15db) but he seemed to only hear me later, replying to one of my 'CQ's, with his signal starting to drop here. This is often the case on 2m eme as a reciprocal two-way path is not always the rule. He was my only contact of the evening (#81) but also heard were K9SLQ, UT3MD, PA3FYC, all of whom I have yet to work.

OK1DIG's audible JT65B CQs

With another favorable moonrise tonight, albeit over an hour later, another go will be hard to resist!
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

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.

Ken Reitz, KS4ZR, is publisher and managing editor of The Spectrum Monitor. Contact him at [email protected].

Just read about Scandinavian versions of untranslatable concepts (like German’s gemütlich or Portuguese’s saudade) at Quartz.

One example is the Danish word hygge (pronounced ‘hooga’)…

There’s no direct English translation for hygge, but the word evokes both coziness and togetherness. “It’s not just cozy with a blanket and a glass of wine,” Kurtz tells Quartz. “It’s also interpersonally cozy—so having a few people with you talking about issues and things you care deeply about. Having some candles lit, maybe a nice warm drink in your hand. Feeling safe and content.”

The Norwegian equivalent is koselig.

Psychologists working at the University of Tromsø have found that those further north in Norway have more positive wintertime mindsets. Kari Leibowitz wrote a piece for The Atlantic explaining how people flourished there during winter.

It all helps explain the popularity of Dxing and SWL as a group activity as written about here a while ago.

I just checked and four of these Norwegian radio friends spent another week or so over October and November DXing, and eating and drinking the best the planet has to offer enjoying their QRM-free QTH with views out over the Barents Sea! Analysis of their reception recordings continues over here.

That’s a sustained radio bliss!