December 2005
Articles from the
December 2005 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
The December issue of CQ continues our extensive coverage of ham radio's response to Hurricane Katrina and focuses as well on 160 meters, or "Top Band," which really comes into its own as we head into both winter and the bottom end of the sunspot cycle.
We start, though, with a look at a group of hams who are combining two hobbies -- ham radio and RVing -- and have been doing so as a group for a quarter century, as Sam's Radio Hams celebrates its 25th anniversary this month.
Next, we have the results of the 2005 CQ World Wide DX 160 Meter Contest, with a record number of logs yet again. This is followed by a fascinating look at two forms of signal propagation on 160, ducting and "spotlight propagation." Unlike the VHF and UHF bands, where radio ducts often form in the troposphere, author Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, explains that ducts on 160 lie between the E and F layers of the ionosphere.
In this issue, we also finish up our year-long "60 Great Things About Ham Radio" feature, celebrating CQ's 60th anniversary in 2005; we've got a reminder about the two new "Waking Up DXing" programs starting in January (the CQ DX Marathon and the CQ iDX Award), and of course, our 2005 Annual Index.
Our continuing coverage of Hurricane Katrina begins with "Response and Recovery" by Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, followed by a digest of news articles about ham radio's role in recovery efforts, collected by "Washington Readout" editor Fred Maia, W5YI; and Digital Editor Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, looks at the digital aspects of ham response, along with proposals for regulation by bandwidth -- which he explains are quite closely connected.
It's also the holiday season, of course, and we have two columns focused on goodies you might want to find under your tree (or other suitable gift repository) - "What's New" by New Products Editor Karl Thurber, W8FX, and Dave Ingram, K4TWJ's, "World of Ideas" column.
We've also got a look at test equipment bargains by "Math's Notes" editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM; "Radio Classics" column editor and calendar photographer Joe Veras, K9OCO, discusses "The Making of the Classics Calendar;" QRP Editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, focuses on QRP (low-power) projects, and "VHF-Plus" editor Joe Lynch, N6CL, reports on a new distance record on 47 GHz along with other VHF/UHF news.
In "Beginner's Corner," column editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, cautions all of us to "Beware the Open Mic;" Awards Editor Ted Melinosky, K1BV, covers common terms and abbreviations familiar to experienced award hunters but difficult to decipher for those new to the sport; the worldwide network of HF propagation beacons is the subject of DX Editor Carl Smith, N4AA's, monthly column; Contesting Editor John Dorr, K1AR, reports on having fun while learning operating strategy in on-air contests, and Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, offers a last-minute prediction for the CW weekend of the 2005 CQ World Wide DX Contest and a look at what to expect from the ionosphere in December.
That's a brief look at what's coming up in the December issue of CQ magazine, which should be on newsstands and in subscribers' mailboxes by late November. For information on becoming a CQ subscriber, click the "Click Here to Subscribe" button at the top of this page.
Looking Back … and Seeing Yourself in the Mirror
2005 Annual Index
December 2005
Contest Calendar
Chet Lambert, W4WDR
