The Spectrum Monitor — March, 2016

TSMMarch2016coverStories you’ll find in our March, 2016 issue:

2016 TSM Air Show Special
By Brian and Jo Marie Topolski

Monitoring the action in the air at any of North America’s many air shows can be daunting. You have to know where to listen and when to listen to fully enjoy the spectacle. Veteran air show attendees and TSM contributors, Brian and Jo Marie Topolski, give us some valuable hints about air show action. Don’t forget to bring your scanner, camera and ear protection—it’s going to get really loud!

Flying with Fat Albert and Sean D. Tucker
By Kevin Burke

Longtime air show attendee, photographer and veteran air-band monitor, Kevin Burke, has found himself in several uncomfortable situations, all in pursuit of a great shot of some of the world’s most advanced aircraft in action. Whether it’s a nausea-inducing ride in a C-130 doing aerobatic maneuvers or hanging from a seatbelt in a support plane watching Sean D. Tucker tear up the skies in his 400-horsepower biplane, Kevin is in the game!

How to Track Military and Civilian Aircraft on your Home Computer
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW

Monitoring military and civilian aircraft activities via your scanner has come a long way. Not too long ago it was the domain of well-heeled hobbyists with highly honed technical skills. Now, thanks to off-the-shelf receivers and readily available software, you can personally keep track of almost anything that flies, almost anywhere in the world. Veteran milcom monitor, Larry Van Horn, shows us how it’s done.

A Beginner’s Guide to Monitoring Aviation
By Dave Kelly

Air comms in the sky aren’t just for private and commercial aviation; the military provides some of the more interesting action you can hear. And, it’s not just VHF and UHF frequencies you need to monitor. Dave walks us through the basics of aviation monitoring with tips on where and when to tune in. And, here’s a hint, you don’t have to live near a major airport or military base to hear something interesting.

2016 TSM Air Show Guide

From March through November the best precision aircraft and skydiving teams will be in the air at an airbase near. Here are the 2016 schedules for the US Air Force Thunderbirds; the US Navy Blue Angels; the Canadian Forces Snowbirds; US Army Golden Knights; Breitling Jet Team; Team Oracle Presents Sean D. Tucker, and GEICO Skytypers as provided by each team.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Michigan Interoperability System; Rebanding Progress

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Federal Monitoring at Super Bowl 50

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
ALE: The Mode that Linked the World

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Is an Egyptian HF Diplomatic Network Overhaul Underway?

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
What Else Can You Do With It?

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
The History of the VUCC Award

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Forgotten Antenna Fundamentals and Other Curious Tidbits—Part 3

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
The Goodwill Radio Connection

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
The Somersaulting Sun

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Keith Perro​​n​
Radio Netherlands: Archiving Shortwave Radio History

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
DJs, The Bard, and “My Favorite Country”

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
AMSATs Then and Now

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
News, Mail, and Updates

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Another Lafayette Radio: New Life for an HA-230

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Antenna Stealth: A Working Philosophy

Radio Horizons
Teak Air Show Guide 2016 17th Edition 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.

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

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