July 2005
Articles from the
July 2005 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
Connecting with kids is the main theme of the July 2005 issue of CQ, with two articles about introducing young people to amateur radio. We start out with Bill Morine, N2COP, describing ham radio activities every four years at the Boy Scout National Jamboree, which will be held again this July at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Perhaps you'll make a contact with the Jamboree ham station, K2BSA/4. Next, CQ Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU, reports on a program in which he took part in late April, introducing ham radio to more than 100 young people on "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day."
Other features of our July issue include W2VU's editorial on bandwidth regulation - a topic also covered this month by "Washington Readout" editor Fred Maia, W5YI; an article by George Ewing, WA8WTE, on building antennas for next to nothing, and a study by psychology professor John Geiger, NE0P, on whether there is a distinct "DXpedition personality" among hams. We also have the results of the 2004 CQ WPX RTTY Contest as well as the rules for the 2005 CQ World Wide RTTY DX Contest and a review by CQ Digital Editor Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, of West Mountain Radio's new Computerized Battery Analyzer, or CBA.
Finally among our features, we introduce this year's inductees into the CQ Amateur Radio, Contest and DX Halls of Fame, plus this month's installment of our yearlong series, "60 Great Things About Ham Radio," in celebration of CQ's 60th anniversary this year.
July's columns are highlighted by Joe Lynch, N6CL's, "VHF-Plus" column, which reports this month on EME (moonbounce) from Antarctica and the story-behind-the-story of Chip Margelli, K7JA's 432-MHz CW "contact" on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," in which Morse code beat out text messaging in a speed contest before a TV audience of some 10 million people.
WA2NDM's "Math's Notes" column continues his series on optical communications and "Magic in the Sky" columnist Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, takes us with him on a trip to Washington, DC, including a stop at the Smithsonian Institution's permanent ham station, NN3SI.
Next we have two columns on taking advantage of summer weather by operating outside -- that's the focus of both K4TWJ's "World of Ideas" and "Beginner's Corner," by Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ. Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, reminds us that it's hurricane season again, and points out that forecasters anticipate an even more active season this year than last year, hard to believe as that may be. Next, Antennas Editor Kent Britain, WA5VJB, shows us how to build one of his "Cheap Yagis" for 70-centimeter amateur television (ATV), and "How it Works" editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, explains the differences between AGC (Automatic Gain Control) and ALC (Automatic Level Control) and how each type of circuit does what it does.
"What's New" editor Karl Thurber, W8FX, looks at a direct digital synthesis (DDS) VFO as an add-on for older radios, and a new Optibeam antenna, among many other new items introduced just before the Dayton Hamvention®. (We'll have a report on new products introduced at Dayton in our August issue.)
On the awards front, Awards Editor and USA-CA Award Manager Ted Melinosky, K1BV, discusses "ghost counties" that have been renamed, broken up or absorbed into other counties. DX Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, talks about the importance of listening, patience and timing in DXing success; Contest Editor John Dorr, K1AR, offers tips on being competitive even without a tower, and Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, explains how his online propagation resource center and be accessed via web-enabled cellphones, PDAs, etc.
That's a look at the highlights of the July, 2005 issue of CQ, which should be on newsstands and in readers' maiboxes by late June.
Pardon the Bandwidth (Bandwidth regulation)
2005 Inductees – CQ Amateur Radio and Contest Halls of Fame
Rules - 2005 CQ WW RTTY DX Contest
