April 2003
Articles from the
April 2003 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
The long-running relationship between ham radio and the Space Shuttle Columbia is a major theme of the April issue of CQ, starting with detailed reporting by Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, on the amateur radio response to the tragic loss of the orbiter in the skies over Texas on February first. Ham radio was part of the recovery effort from the start and it turned out to be essential as searchers combed the heavy pine forests of East Texas, looking for debris. Cell phones were useless out in the woods; police radio systems had trouble penetrating what's called the "pine curtain," and as always in a major disaster response, different emergency service organizations often couldn't talk directly with each other. Only one radio system worked reliably -- amateur radio -- so much so that according to Bob's report, FBI teams specifically requested amateur radio operators for their teams due to their excellent reliability and efficiency. At least 70 operators a day were needed every day for two weeks, until the U.S. Forest Service took over the search. It was the biggest long-term deployment of amateur radio emergency communications since the attacks of September 11th.
It's especially fitting that ham radio played such a major role in the Columbia recovery effort, since Columbia itself had played a major role as the platform for putting ham radio into space nearly two decades ago. Joe Lynch, N6CL, explores the special relationship that has grown up between amateur radio and the manned space program in his April "VHF-Plus" column.
One unique aspect of the amateur radio involvement in the shuttle recovery search in East Texas was that hams and other interested people around the world could listen in -- the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club repeater, which carried most of the traffic, was linked to the Internet via Echolink, one of two major internet-linking protocols for ham repeaters. In fact, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington reportedly kept tabs on the search by listening to hams via Echolink. During less stressful times, Echolink and IRLP are helping bring life back to many repeaters that had been sitting dormant much of every day. John Wood, WV5J, tells us in his April CQ article how Echolink has reinvigorated his local repeater. John also offers tips on setting up an Echolink connection of your own.
Our regular April contributor, Professor Emil Heisseluft, returns with a look at top secret research involving Pringles™ potato chip cans as resonators. Dean Poeth, K8TM, has an excellent introduction to working with surface mount devices, those tiny little components that make up so much modern electronic circuitry. William Riley, N3SNU, takes the model railroading tradition of "kitbashing" and applies it to an amateur radio antenna. What's kitbashing? Well, it's NOT taking a hammer to a kit. To find out what it IS, you'll have to read the article.
We've also got the results of last spring's CQ National Foxhunting Weekend, plus the announcement for the 2003 radio direction-finding event, courtesy of Doctor D-F, Joe Moell, K0OV.
CQ Digital Editor Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, provides details on a historic contact late last year -- the first-ever transatlantic digital voice contact on HF. "Magic in the Sky" columnist Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, writes about going digital ... and the growing problem of limited access to hilltops and other traditional sites for amateur repeaters. "Washington Readout" Editor Fred Maia, W5YI, brings us up to date on the US preparations for this summer's World Radiocommunication Conference, WRC-03. Contributing Editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, goes mobiling in his "World of Ideas" column and goes back in time in his QRP column. Beginner's Editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, discusses the importance of public service in amateur radio and shows new hams how to get involved. "Math's Notes" Editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM, looks at advances in ground communications, while Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, investigates a possible new propagation mode that seems to be making worldwide DX possible on VHF and UHF amateur bands.
On the Cover
Ray Snyder, WJ7V, of Lander,
Wyoming