November 2005
Articles from the
November 2005 issue of CQ posted on our
website include:
The November issue of CQ is highlighted by extensive coverage of ham radio's response to Hurricane Katrina, starting with our Public Service column, subtitled "A Desperate SOS," in which Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, summarizes ham activities throughout the affected region. Next, we have a first-person report -- "But You ARE Helping Us, Roberto!" --from New Orleans resident Roberto Dabdoub, KB5AVY, followed by a look at "Secondary Stress and Trauma," by CQ VHF Editor Joe Lynch, N6CL, who is also a minister, a trained counselor and a veteran of ham radio's response to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. This article covers a topic of great importance to emergency responders at all levels that is often overlooked, particularly among volunteers.
Next, CQ Contributing Editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, offers an Op-Ed piece on the importance of contacting your Congressman to urge support for the newly- reintroduced Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act (HR-3876) - the bill to give hams in homeowner-association controlled neighborhoods the same rights to "reasonable accommodation" of amateur antennas as those living in homes without restrictive covenants.
Our Mobiling and VHF-Plus columns this month also deal with Katrina-related issues.
Among our regular features, we start with "The Million-Dollar Radio Club," by Dan Moseson, KC2OOM, the story of how a New Jersey radio club got $1 million in government grants and how it used the money. Next, we have the rules for the 2006 CQ World Wide 160-Meter Contest, as well as two reviews: Contributing Editor Gordon West, WB6NOA, examines the RFSpace SDR-14 software defined receiver and spectrum analyzer; while Phil Salas, AD5X, not only reviews the MFJ-935B loop antenna tuner but also offers a modification!
Next up, CQ Editor Rich
Moseson, W2VU, writes about "The License Conspiracy Experiment," in
which he and Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, set out to learn if it's possible
to pass the Technician exam without studying; Ben Wright, K9DID, explains
the long-term consequences of his mother's decision to buy him a radio kit
in "It's All My Mother's Fault," and author/historian Ed Richmond, W4YO,
returns with another look at how some of the countries on the DXCC "deleted
list" got there in "(More) Geopolitics and Amateur Radio."
Moving on to November's columns (Public Service, Mobiling and VHF-Plus listed above), "Washington Readout" editor Fred Maia, W5YI, shares some of the early comments on the FCC's proposal to eliminate Morse code testing in amateur radio; DX Editor N4AA's good friend, "Uncle DX," chimes in with his opinions on the FCC proposal and so does "Beginner's Corner" editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ. "Math's Notes" editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM, takes a look at Class D amplifiers; Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, does his annual write-up of crystal sets in his "World of Ideas" column; New Products Editor Karl Thurber, W8FX, shares news on a mini linear amplifier for HF, a web-accessible transceiver kit and more; and Antennas Editor Kent Britain, WA5VJB, discusses the ever-popular magnet mount antenna and how it really works.
Speaking of "How it Works," column editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ delves into the basics of speech compression and audio equalization; Contest Editor John Dorr, K1AR, asks the rhetorical question, "Is Contesting a Closed Club?"; Awards Editor Ted Melinosky, K1BV, profiles three awards from Europe in his column, and Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, writes about the unusual ending to the current solar cycle … which is looking strangely like the top of the cycle!
That's a brief look at what's coming up in the November issue of CQ magazine, which should be on newsstands and in subscribers' mailboxes by late October. For information on becoming a CQ subscriber, click the "Click Here to Subscribe" button at the top of this page. Coming soon: 2006-2007 CQ Calendars! Click here for more information.
Off With Their Heads!
November 2005 Contest Calendar
Downed utility lines still lay draped across a New Orleans street ten days after Hurricane Katrina.
