January 2004
Articles from the
Janaury 2004 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
Happy New Year 2004! According to FCC data, amateur license renewals in the 12 months ending October 31, 2003 outpaced expirations and cancellations by 62%! The number of new licensees was up slightly from the previous year, at 20,385. (Statistics courtesy of Joe Speroni, AH0A)
The January issue of CQ features "Fire & Ice" on the cover -- reflecting the range of stories you'll find inside. We start out with recollections by Dennis Shapiro, W1UF, of his operations 50 years ago at the Thule airbase in Greenland -- and his return for an anniversary celebration during which he was able to operate as OX3-50T (yes, the hyphen was part of the callsign!). Staying in the far north, we then join Contributing Editor Gordon West, WB6NOA, for a tour of HAARP, the High-Frequency Active Aurora Research Program, in Alaska. Conspiracy theories notwithstanding, Gordon says he had free access to visit and photograph every part of the facility.
The "fire" part of the issue comes in two parts -- starting with two articles on last fall's firestorms in Southern California and the ham radio response; and followed later in the issue by close-up looks in our "VHF-Plus" and "Propagation" columns about the largest solar flare ever recorded, on November 4th, and its effects on radio propagation here on Earth.
We've also got the SSB results of the 2003 CQ World Wide WPX Contest, which despite being on the downward slope of the current sunspot cycle, saw record participation along with 13 new world and continental records! The CW results will be along in March. Rules for the 2004 WPX Contest will be in our February issue. However, the January issue does have the rules for our RTTY WPX Contest, coming up on February 7-8 (the 2004 SSB WPX weekend is March 27-28; the CW weekend is May 29-30).
Finally among our features, we have a CQ review of the new Ten-Tec Orion transceiver, put through its paces by noted DXer and low-band authority John Devoldere, ON4UN. Speaking of noted hams, the January issue also has our annual announcement and nomination form for the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. Nominations also open January 1 for the CQ Contest Hall of Fame and the CQ DX Hall of Fame.
Among our January columns, "Washington Readout" Editor Fred Maia, W5YI, provides details on the second set of seven petitions regarding code testing to be released for comment by the FCC. Unlike the first seven, most of these want to maintain at least some form of code testing. With the likelihood of Technicians getting some HF privileges in the next couple of years, Contributing Editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, offers a newcomer's guide to HF operating in this month's "World of Ideas" column. "Magic in the Sky" columnist Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, offers a great essay called "I am Ham Radio," while "Beginner's Corner" editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, introduces us to microwave operating (a whole lot of us are beginners in that part of the spectrum!).
"Math's Notes" editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM, builds his 1980 dream station; K4TWJ continues his "How It Works" column series on basic components -- excellent for newcomers and a good review even if you feel you're beyond the basics. "VHF-Plus" editor Joe Lynch, N6CL, in addition to discussing the big solar flare mentioned earlier, brings us up to date on a new DX record on 241 GHz -- 34.9 kilometers. That may not sound impressive, but it more than tripled the old distance record! DX Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, brings us up to date on the major DXpeditions planned for early 2004; Contesting Editor John Dorr, K1AR, talks about declining sunspots and increasing QRM; and Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, looks at the November 4 solar flare, plus he reviews conditions during the SSB weekend of the CQ WW DX Contest in October, and offers band-by-band propagation predictions for 2004.
That's a preview of what will be in January issue of CQ, which should be in readers’ mailboxes and on newsstands in mid-December. Best wishes to all of our readers and other visitors to our website from all of us at CQ for a happy holiday season and a happy, healthy, and hopefully peaceful 2004.
Hall of Fame Announcement
and Form
Rules: 2004 CQ/RTTY Journal RTTY WPX Contest
California firefighter photo by Ron Eggers, KA6RWK