February 2006
Articles from the
February 2006 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
The February issue of CQ features a mix of old and new, stretching from a device that's older than radio to the very latest in ham radio digital technology. We start with our annual Market Survey of current ham equipment by Contributing Editor Gordon West, WB6NOA. Gordon focuses this year on VHF/UHF handheld transceivers ... which overall cost a little less than when we last reviewed them three years ago and which often offer more features than their predecessors. This is a must-read guide for anyone in the market for a new handheld.
Next, we step back in time 150 years -- before the dawn of radio -- as author Heikki Lempola, OH2BGX, looks at old-time telegraph sounders, how to get them working, how to build your own, and how to use them to copy Morse code off the air today, including a circuit for building a radio-sounder interface unit. (We'll follow this in an upcoming issue with an article by WA8SME on building a PIC-microprocessor-based interface, truly blending old and new technology.)
We next return to the present day but travel to eastern Europe, where author George Pataki, WB2AQC (no, not the same George Pataki who's Governor of New York), takes us to a couple of hamfests in "Belgrade and BURARBU: A Look at Hamfests in Eastern Europe." Back in this country, Tom Coates, N3IJ, and Joseph Krysztoforsk, AJ3X, take us step-by-step through "Effective Lobbying in Support of Amateur Radio," a guide to working with your representatives in Congress to pass ham-friendly legislation.
Finally in this month's features, Jim Southwick, N7JS, offers a project article on building a "Beacon in a Box," an automatic beacon transmitter for 10 meters to help alert hams to band openings. This is a particularly useful project as we head into the bottom of the sunspot cycle, as there are regular openings on 10, but they're often missed by people who assume the band will be dead until the sunspots return.
In February's columns, "Math's Notes" editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM, looks at electrical circuitry in cars and what you need to know for installing radio gear; Mobiling Editor Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, looks at some of the new gear you might want to think about installing; and Beginner's Editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, examines the ins and outs of crossband repeating, something often done using a combination of a handheld and a mobile rig.
Moving out of the car, "Washington Readout" editor Fred Maia, W5YI, takes a close look at the ARRL's petition to the FCC to redefine the subdivisions of our HF and low VHF bands by maximum signal bandwidth rather than by permitted modes. "World of Ideas" editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, offers "A Homebrew Treat: The 'Bare Essentials' Transmitter;" New Products Editor Karl Thurber, W8FX, shows off a variety of new equipment, including an audio processor, a network analyzer and more.
Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, focuses on "Preparing for Next Time," now that the 2005 hurricane season is finally over, with a look at hams in Hawaii who are putting together HF "go kits" for use in hospitals, funded by a grant from the National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program. Next, Digital Editor Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, examines the D-Star digital protocol developed by the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) and being promoted in the U.S. by ICOM - a topic also discussed by CQ Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU, in his "Zero Bias" editorial - as well as some tips for effective web searching on Google™.
On the low-power front, QRP Editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, looks at new gear, antennas and other goodies for the low-power operator; VHF-Plus Editor Joe Lynch, reports on a controversial article by ZL3NE that suggests that all propagation on the VHF and UHF bands can be predicted; DX Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, previews DXpeditions to Juan Fernandez (CE0) and Peter I (3Y0). The Chilean operators on the CE0 expedition will be joined by four veteran DXpeditioners from the 3Y0X team, who will provide them with valuable training before heading off on their own major expedition.
Contesting Editor John Dorr, K1AR, looks at the psychology of contesting; Awards Editor Ted Melinosky, K1BV, features awards from around the world, and Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, predicts improved signal paths between the U.S. and the southern hemisphere as the spring equinox approaches, and looks ahead to the beginning of the next sunspot cycle later this year or early in 2007.
That's a brief look at what's coming up in the February issue of CQ magazine, which should be on newsstands and in subscribers' mailboxes by late January. For information on becoming a CQ subscriber, click the "Click Here to Subscribe" button at the top of this page.
Remaking Ham Radio (Again)
February 2006
Contest Calendar
