AmateurRadio.com

Stories you’ll find in our February, 2015 issue:

Monitoring the Russian Navy (Part 1)
By Tony Roper
In previous articles, military monitoring specialist, Tony Roper, took us inside NATO war games (TSM July 2014) and showed us how to monitor the Russian Air Force (TSM October 2014). In the first of a series, Tony turns his attention to the Russian navy and shows you how you can listen in CW and, amazingly, even track their positions.

The Amateur Radio Parity Act is Down, But Certainly Not Out!
By Richard Fisher KI6SN
The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014, proposed last June by U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois), never got out of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. To paraphrase American author-humorist Mark Twain, the death of H.R. 4969, “is an exaggeration.” Proposed to protect radio amateurs and other communications hobbyists from private communities’ unreasonable antenna restrictions, it is expected to be back in play in the newly minted 114th Congress. Think of the legislation as merely hibernating.

Listening for WWII POWs
By Rich Post KB8TAD
It wasn’t the New Year’s Eve he had anticipated. Twenty-two year old Second Lieutenant George Klare was navigator on a B-17G bomber based in England. As part of the 418th squadron, he was at the navigator’s table reviewing the flight path of the bomber in the direction of Hamburg and its synthetic oil refineries, which were so vital to the German war machine during World War II. He had no idea that this might indeed be the last time he would see London during the war.

W9GRS: Middle School Amateur Radio Station Update
By Troy Simpson W9KVR
Teaching junior high science can never be accused of being boring, at least here in rural Illinois. Coming off what I would call a “rebuilding year,” in my last article, the 2014-2015 school year has seemed to hit its stride and halfway through we can say it has been a very eventful year! The school station W9GRS has settled into its new home in Room 115 with the sounds of PSK31 tones and voices often filling the air during the last class period of the day.

D-STAR – its History and its Future
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
In 1999, about 10 years after the genesis of P25, the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) began developing a new standard for digital voice and data operation. Predominately funded by the Japanese government, in a similar – but different – way we might find a project funded by a grant allocation, the JARL committee’s work was released in 2001 and the Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio—D-STAR was created. But why has the second oldest and first digital voice methodology created specifically for amateur radio taken so long to take hold and what is its future?

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription (12 issues, beginning with the January 2015 issue) is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Stories you’ll find in our January, 2015 edition:

K3LR: Contesting With the Big Guns
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

Looking at the cover photo on this month’s TSM prompts the question, “Does this guy have enough antennas?” That’s a question that’s been asked hundreds of times by drivers on Interstate 80 who pass by the amateur radio antenna farm just east of the Ohio border. Tim Duffy K3LR says, “No. You can never have too many antennas!” Since 1987, Duffy has spent countless hours building his dream station, as well as collecting numerous contest awards along with the operators that make up the K3LR Contest Team. This is their story.

Monitoring Utility and Amateur Radio Transmissions with a DVB-T Dongle
By Mario Filippi N2HUN

With a small investment, any radio hobbyist can expand the reception capabilities of a DVB-T dongle to include long wave, medium wave and short wave frequencies. Creative individuals in the software industry have realized the potential of these diminutive, economically priced devices and have crafted programs that allow the dongle to function as multi-mode Software Defined Radios, when attached to a USB port of a computer.

Volunteer Interceptors: Listening for Terrorists
By Bob Patterson K5DZE

Any amateur, SWL or scanner monitor, who listens to a range of frequencies on a regular basis, soon learns what normally is heard over that range. These frequencies become the operator’s “radio
neighborhood.” Should a Volunteer Interceptor (VI) service be organized within the radio enthusiast community to monitor radio frequencies for possible national and international threats?

AMIKO A3 FTA Satellite Receiver
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

If Apple made a Free-to-Air (FTA) satellite receiver it might look and perform like the AMIKO A3. In fact, opening the A3’s box, you might think you were opening a Mac; electronics manufacturers all seem to have taken a tip from Apple’s packaging concept. The Mac reference is a plus and a minus. Like a Mac, the A3 is modern in design, ruggedly built, and takes a little getting used to.

Why Go Digital?
By Cory GB Sickles W3UUV

Digital voice (and data) radios are certainly here to stay. This is one of the fastest growing and evolving aspects of amateur radio today. Although DV’s roots extend back more than 25 years, we’re still introducing new ways to communicate with ones and zeros, through methods that will eventually put analog VHF FM where HF AM is today.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Monitoring Digital Systems

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
A Year in Federal Monitoring

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
More Russian “Numbers” Mysteries

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Have PacTOR, Will Travel The High Seas!

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Current Balun Bonus: Noise Reduction?

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
The View Ahead, Through the Rearview Mirror

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Fundamentals: Radio Wave Propagation

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Jeff White, General Manager, WRMI Shortwave
Shortwave Listeners make their Voices Heard

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Change and Opportunity in the New Year

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Marine Radio Traffic and Heritage

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Firing Up the Neophyte 1
(Formerly: A Cure for PPHD)

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Back to the Future

The Broadcast Tower
By Doug Smith W9WI
This is a Test. This is only a Test.

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
On The Road Again: Mobile Antenna Concepts

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription (12 issues, beginning with the January 2015 issue) is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Stories you’ll find in the December, 2014 edition:

The Radio Rovers of the 1920s
By John Schneider W9FGH

Americans spent $60 million on radio sets and parts in 1922, and businessmen and hobbyists fed the radio craze by building hundreds of new broadcasting stations. Almost overnight, the radio spectrum was packed with signals from all around the country—the number of licensed stations went from 28 in January to 670 by the end of the year. But there were still many smaller cities and towns that did not yet have their own broadcast stations. To serve these cities a special class of “portable” station license was created.

Mystery Regenerative Radio
By Rich Post KB8TAD

Rich Post spotted a radio at an antique radio swap meet and was immediately drawn to it. From a distance, he thought it looked like a Lafayette Explor-Air KT-135 regenerative receiver. It used the same tubes as the Lafayette, but so did nearly all regenerative sets from the 1950s and 60s, including the Allied Knight-kit Space Spanner and the Heathkit GR-81. But who actually manufactured the set?

Testing Those Capacitors
By Rich Post KB8TAD

If you ask most radio restorers, what part or parts most often need replacement, they will answer “capacitors.” Rich has been repairing radios for over half a century, and, back in the day, often had to replace some of the capacitors. Now, those capacitors are often themselves a half-century or older. What could happen to that circuit if the capacitor was leaky or shorted? How likely is it to short? How can you test it to be sure?

Vint Hill Farms Cold War Museum Traces History of Cutting-edge Communications
By Cory Koral K2WV (Photos courtesy of Gary Morgan, Founding Member, The Cold War Museum)

Current simmering East-West tensions brings to many minds the Cold War era. At the center of electronic technology of that time was a sprawling top-secret complex in the Virginia countryside known as Vint Hill Farms, where the fine art of modern spying via HF and satellite was directed. Now, it’s a museum dedicated to remembering Cold War lessons.

Old-Time Radio Today
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

What’s the point of having a restored vintage radio if all you can listen to are today’s ear-numbing AM talk shows? Now you can get the most out of your vintage radio by streaming the top shows of yesterday. Even if you don’t have an old-time radio you can get close to the same experience.

AmateurRadio.com Editor’s Note:
If you are a current subscriber to The Spectrum Monitor (or are interested in becoming one), don’t forget to sign up for your 2015 subscription.  It’s well worth $2/month to keep this great little publication “on the air”!

Stories you’ll find in the November, 2014 edition:

TSM Scanner Buyer’s Guide 2014
By Chris Parris

Are you interested in buying your first scanning radio, or are you planning on adding a newer model with the latest features to your radio room? The current choices of scanning receivers available today offer a wide range of features and capabilities that have not been seen in the consumer market previously. TSM Federal Wavelengths columnist, Chris Parrish looks at some of the better scanners on offer today.

TSM Review Follow-up: Uniden 563 HP – Six Months Later
By Chris Parris

In April Chris acquired his Uniden BC-536 HP scanner and published a review of it in the May 2014 edition of The Spectrum Moni-
tor. At the time, he had not had a chance to truly explore all of the capabilities and potential that this new Uniden scanner offered. But, over the last six months he dove into the radio’s Dynamic Memory Architecture (DMA) and discovered how it can be useful for someone who travels around various regions of the country.

TSM Radio Buyer’s Guide: “Round up of Amateur HF Transceivers,” and Price Guide: “The Good, the Better, the Pricey”
By Kirk A. Kleinschmidt NT0Z

It’s a fantastic time to buy an HF transceiver: Features are up, RF performance has never been better and, adjusted for inflation, prices have never been better. But, the radio technology we’ve depended on for the past 50 years has passed the performance baton to software-defined radio (SDR). And there’s really no going back.

TSM Shortwave Radio Buyer’s Guide: Portable, Tabletop and SDRs
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL

Although many large government shortwave broadcasters are departing the shortwave radio scene, there’s no shortage of great prod
ucts being introduced to it. Indeed, growth in the portable and SDR (software defined radio) markets is reasonably rapid. This suggests, perhaps, a new kind of future for shortwave. Thomas Witherspoon looks at all of the best sets in each category.

TSM Reviews: Elad FDM-S2 Software Defined Shortwave Radio
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL

At this year’s Dayton Hamvention, Thomas Witherspoon made a point of checking out Italian radio manufacturer Elad’s SDRs, He
found himself interested in the FDM-S2 receiver as he instantly liked the GUI (graphical user interface), the features, and the specifications of this model. Elad provided a demo unit for review and Thomas gives you plenty of reasons to consider the Elad FDM-S2 for your listening post.

P25 for Hams: Amateur Radio and Project 25
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International Project 25, known also as “APCO 25” or “Project 25,” has been around since 1989. But, for some reason, P25 hasn’t been covered all that much within ham radio publications. Even the ARRL’s “VHF Digital Handbook” has only four pages of its seven chapters dedicated to it. Once you read this article, Cory hopes you’ll be motivated to start exploring P25 as another interesting digital voice methodology on the air.

Linkbox 8000 Local Premium FTA Receiver has Terrestrial Advantage
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

With the loss of the Manhattan RS-1933 receiver, is there a replacement Free-to-Air satellite TV receiver? Yes! But, the Linkbox 8000 Local Premium FTA receiver is even better; it has added local Over-the-Air digital TV reception to an already packed list of features.

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription (12 issues, beginning with the January 2014 issue) is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Bear Hunting: Tracking Russian Air Force Flights via CW and SSB
By Tony Roper

When Tony Roper talks about bear hunting, he’s not referring to tracking furry creatures around the countryside using sophisticated radio devices as aides. He’s referring to monitoring the Russian Air Force Strategic Bomber networks on HF. The Bear networks use both CW and USB for communication; CW is Duplex with ground stations on one frequency and the aircraft on another; while in USB mode, the networks are simplex. Tony shows you when, how and where to find these bears of the air.

Free-to-Air C and Ku-band Satellite Signals in North America
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

As the current solar cycle continues its fade and international shortwave broadcasters continue chiseling away at their budgets and on-air schedules, wouldn’t it be great to have a radio that picks up the latest English broadcasts from around the world in full fidelity audio, without fading, static and other atmospheric problems and cost less than $200 with no monthly fees or Internet connection? And, what if this same system could tune in dozens more TV and radio signals? That’s the advantage of Free-to-Air C and Ku-band satellite monitoring in North America.

The Summer of ’42 Radio
By Rich Post KB8TAD

Rich Post had promised a fellow ham, to whom he owed several favors, that he would look at an old radio that he would like to have working again. Rich had just opened the front door as two friends were carrying a small console radio up the sidewalk to his house when he glimpsed the back of the cabinet and immediately recognized the Philco from a distance. “It’s a Summer of ’42 special,” he yelled out. The radio was a Philco model A-361, first sold in April 1942. His friends understandably looked a bit puzzled at his comment, so he proceeded to explain the history behind the set’s existence.

Pirate Radio Superlatives
By Andrew Yoder

Over the years, radio listeners have asked Andrew, “Who was the first pirate?” or, “Who was the first pirate to broadcast from a ship?” Unlike Major League Baseball, which has kept meticulous records for more than a century, pirate radio is a largely empty record book, with few dots to connect. But this article isn’t cast in bronze, like the plaques at the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s more like the senior superlatives from your old high school yearbook. Andrew has been researching old loggings, newsletters, magazines, and books for information and here are a few of the things he’s found.

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file.  Annual subscription (12 issues, beginning with the January 2014 issue) is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Here are the featured stories from our September, 2014 issue:

An Inexpensive VHF/UHF Spectrum Analyzer Dongle
By Mario Filippi, N2HUN

Commercial spectrum analyzers can run upwards of several thousand dollars in price, but for those on a limited budget, who don’t require the sophisticated features of high-end analyzers, the RF spectrum analyzer by Nuts About Nets fits the hobbyist’s bill nicely. It has opened up a new world of interest in the types of signals that inhabit the VHF/UHF bands, what they look like and where they appear. Regular contributor to TSM, Mario Filippi N2HUN, takes this spectrum analyzer dongle to the VHF and UHF bands, looking for signals. He notes, “Unquestionably, this is one of the most useful pieces of radio gear I have encountered as a hobbyist in many years!”

The Slow and Unsteady Course of HD Radio™
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

In the days before Wi-Fi radio, Pandora™, and the many ways people digitally stream audio to their mobile devices, HD Radio was created to combat the first digital threat to over-the-air radio: XM and Sirius Satellite Radio. Six years ago the market was awash in tabletop HD Radio sets ranging in price from $100-600. Now, there’s only one such set: a $52 FM-only radio from Insignia. In the 13 years since its inception, iBiquity, the broadcast consortium behind the HD Radio brand, has seen its product go from “The Next Great Idea” to the question: “Whatever happened to HD Radio?”

Going Mobile Digitally; Connect Systems CS700 Review, and Nifty! Mini-Manuals
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

In this month’s look at digital amateur radio operating, Cory Sickles WA3UVV, reviews Connect Systems’ CS700 portable UHF digital amateur radio transceiver that boasts 4 watts output, a keypad and more, for a direct retail price of $180. That price is what created the initial buzz, as even a basic Digital Mobile Radio, without any display or keypad, can cost $360 or more. Factor in that the CS700 is supplied with a drop-in charger and free, downloadable, programming software, and you’ll discover why this radio has been such a game changer. We all know that price alone, however, does not guarantee a winner. But Cory found that, with the CS700, the quality and attention to detail was evident from the moment he opened the box and placed the radio in his hand.

TSM Review:

Hardrock 50 Amplifier Kit: Giving QRP a Boost
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH

QRP rigs are simple to build and fun to operate. But, as band conditions deteriorate over the next few years, you may find some need for a boost of power to get those contacts, especially if you’re chasing DX. The Hardrock 50 amp is an economical way to satisfy your urge to build, along with your need for a few dB of added signal strength on all the popular HF bands plus 6 meters. Regular TSM contributor, Mark Haverstock K8MSH, details his experience as he tackled the job of building this amp and putting it to the test on his Elecraft KX-3, a popular all-band, all-mode, low-power transceiver.

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file.  Annual subscription (12 issues, beginning with the January 2014 issue) is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Here are the featured stories from our August, 2014 issue:

The Military Auxiliary Radio System: A Partner in the Nation’s Emergency Preparedness
by David J. Trachtenberg N4WWL, AFA3TR, AFN3PL (National Planning Coordinator), AFN3NE (Northeast Division MARS Director)

In an age where anyone with a cell phone can contact anyone else halfway around the world instantaneously, we seldom think of how we would communicate if traditional means were not available. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) understands this reality. For 89 years it has authorized and sponsored a group of volunteer amateur radio operators to provide a backup communications capability for the U.S. military and other agencies in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. But, with the military relying on satellites and digital Web-based communications, is MARS still useful today?

BBG and Technology Today: The Struggle for Global Relevance
by Ken Reitz KS4ZR

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is a top-heavy, sprawling, federal bureaucracy, with an annual budget in excess of $700 million. It oversees the Voice of America, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB). But, times have changed and more listeners are tuning in via smartphone than shortwave radio. With an ever-decreasing budget, can BBG deliver its message and stay globally relevant?

Returning to the Carrier: The YE-ZB Radio System
by Rich Post KB8TAD

It was July 30, 1935. Navy Lieutenant Frank Akers had been given a unique and hazardous assignment. As the Flight Test and Project Officer for Instrument Flying Development at the Naval Air Station in San Diego, he had been told that the Navy’s first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley, was somewhere at sea about 150 miles from San Diego. He was to find the carrier and attempt to land on it while completely covered by a hood. This would be the ultimate test for an experimental, radio-based instrument landing system. With directional radio beacons, locating the carrier to the point of visual sighting was one thing, but a blind landing on that relatively small moving flat-top was another matter.

Putting the “Radio” in Radio Shack
by Mark Haverstock K8MSH

Radio Shack started in 1921 as a one-store retail and mail-order operation in downtown Boston run by brothers. Theodore and Milton Deutschmann. They chose the name Radio Shack, a term used to describe small wooden shelters that housed a ship’s radio equipment. By 1968 they were the “McDonalds of electronics,” the “Walmart of high tech.” When they moved into Mark Haverstock’s corner of the world—the north suburbs of Pittsburgh—opening what was to become one of more than 7,300 company and franchise stores worldwide, it didn’t matter that there was an already established Lafayette Radio store less than a mile away, or an Olson’s on the other side of town. There couldn’t be enough radio stores for him and his ham/hobbyist friends.

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file.  Annual subscription (12 issues, beginning with the January 2014 issue) is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.