April 2004
Articles from the
April 2004 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
The April 2004 issue of CQ begins with news reports on the latest FCC action regarding broadband over power lines, or BPL, with detailed coverage on the Notice of Proposed Rule Making in N6CL’s “VHF-Plus” column further inside the issue. Our lead feature for April is titled “A QSL Conspiracy,” and it’s the story of author Larry Wolfe, W6BNN’s return to ham radio after an absence of nearly 50 years. Next, Contributing Editor Gordon West, WB6NOA, gives us a “First Look” at Kenwood’s new HF mobile rig, the TS-480, which includes 60 meters out of the box and gives you an option of 100 watts out with a built-in antenna tuner or a whopping 200 watts minus the tuner.
Next, we go “foxhunting” with Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) guru Joe Moell, K0OV, who reports on the results of last year’s CQ National Foxhunting Weekend and provides the details for this year’s running of the event. The theme of tracking transmitters continues with Professor Emil Heisseluft’s article on “Self-Propelled Swimmers for the Sensing and Transmission of Oceanic Data,” followed by a review of MFJ’s model 1664 manual screwdriver mobile HF antenna by Phil Salas, AD5X.
Fred Baumgartner, KG0KI, of the Antenna Consortium, concludes his 2-part series on “Home Owners Associations, Covenants, and the Radio Operator” with a look at some occasionally-successful methods of “fighting city hall” on CC&R antenna restrictions. In April’s “Washington Readout,” column editor Fred Maia, W5YI, takes a close look at the ARRL’s proposal for a new entry-level HF license, the merger of all existing license classes into just three, and the realignment of some HF subbands to make better use of the current Novice segments.
“Math’s Notes” editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM, explores the frontiers of electronic theory with circuits for oscillators with negative resistance; “Beginner’s Corner” editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, offers a guide to finding information online about just about anything; and our Public Service column this month is dedicated to training resources available online and elsewhere, with Jerry Boyd, KW7J, and Gordon West, WB6NOA, filling in as guest columnists this month.
As mentioned at the beginning, “VHF-Plus” editor Joe Lynch, N6CL, devotes his column this month to analyzing the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rule Making, or NPRM, on broadband over power lines (BPL). K4TWJ’s “World of Ideas” column continues last month’s topic on classic microphones; “Magic in the Sky” editor Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, looks at the genius of Nikola Tesla, and “What’s New” editor Karl Thurber, W8FX, looks at … what’s new in the marketplace.
Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, explores the basics of packet radio in his “Digital Connection” column; Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, covers the basics of low-power operating in this month’s “QRP” column, and DX Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, wonders what ever became of the “chasing” part of “chasing DX.” Awards Editor Ted Melinosky, K1BV, covers awards for contacting soldiers, lighthouses and counties; Contesting Editor John Dorr, K1AR, discusses a little-known psychiatric disorder that appears to affect hams in general and contesters in particular; and Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, focuses on aurora – the plus-side (on VHF) of those solar storms that whacked our ionosphere last fall.
That's a preview of what will be in the April issue of CQ, which should be in readers’ mailboxes and on newsstands in mid- March.
“They Just Want to Make More Money…”
Antenna restrictions weren’t a problem for Jules Freundlich, W2JGR, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, but many other hams aren’t so lucky. Part 2 of our article on antenna restrictions begins on page 36 of the April issue.