May 2005
Articles from the
May 2005 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
American hams serving in -- and operating from -- Iraq highlight the May 2005 issue of CQ. Bruce McPherson, AB3AC/YI9AC, profiles several US hams operating from Iraq and tells how they found each other and got on the air.
Next, we continue our introduction of new programs aimed at "Waking Up DXing," this month featuring the revival of the CQ DX Marathon, last run in 1948! This will be a year-long event in which the goal is to work as many countries and CQ zones as possible -- and it starts fresh again each year, so there's no way to have "worked them all" for more than maybe a month or two before you have to start over. Details are in the May issue and will be posted here once the issue is in distribution. As we make some changes in the CQ DX program, we felt it would be a perfect time to look back to its earliest days, something former CQ DX Editor John Attaway, K4IIF, does in his article, "Early History of the CQ DX Program." And on the topic of on-air marathons, Vlado Kovaceski, Z35M, shares his story of a year-long personal QSO marathon, during which he made over 40,000 QSOs -- while balancing the demands of a full-time job and young family.
The results of the 2004 CQ World Wide RTTY DX Contest appear in our May issue, with Contest Directors Glenn Vinson, W6OTC, and Joe Wittmer, K9SZ, reporting on record participation and at least four new records, despite generally deteriorating propagation conditions.
Will Steed, K4PRL, shows us how to build a multiband inverted-L antenna, a good consideration for those with limited space. And Beginner's Corner editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, explains the importance of submitting logs and scores if you participate in a contest.
Next, we have two reports on bicycle-related public service activities. "Leading the Pack: The 5-Boro Bike Tour," by Alan Dove, N3IMU, guides us through ham radio communications for a bicycling event through all five boroughs of New York City, and "Assault on Mt. Mitchell," by Elsie Finkelstein, KA2CLX, takes us out of the city to a bike race from Spartanburg, South Carolina to the peak of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina.
Among our May columns after "Beginner's Corner" noted above, Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO focuses on "Hamming it Up for the Troops;" "Washington Readout" editor Fred Maia, W5YI, examines the ARRL's petition to the FCC to reconsider its decision regarding Broadband over Power Lines, or BPL. "Math's Notes" editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM, covers related ground with a look at "BPL Investigations," and "World of Ideas" editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, begins his annual look at new, different and beautiful code keys.
Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, discusses the details of several mobile ham installations in his "Mobiling" column, "What's New" editor Karl Thurber, W8FX, looks at Ohm's Law watches, among other items of interest, and "How it Works" editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, digs into IF filters and selectivity in receivers.
Antennas Editor Kent Britain, WA5VJB, writes about "Antennas that trouble me," and offers tips on what to watch for in antenna descriptions. "VHF-Plus" editor Joe Lynch, N6CL, continues his comparison of VHF and UHF today with the way it used to be in Part 2 of his "Not Your Father's VHF+ Ham Bands" series. DX Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, focuses on current DXpeditions, a new book, called Contesting in Africa, and CQ's new "DX Field Award." Awards Editor Ted Melinosky, K1BV, shows us awards from Croatia, the Rhine and something called the Marco Polo Award. Contesting Editor John Dorr, K1AR, shares some old tricks that may come in handy as the sunspot cycle drops down, and Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, looks at the state of the sunspot cycle and makes his predictions for springtime propagation on HF and VHF.
That's a preview of what will be in the May issue of CQ, which should be in readers’ mailboxes and on newsstands in mid- April.
