Ham radio from a city condo…….I have been doing it for close to 7 years now and it does have it’s challenges. I have had great success with some cool world wide contacts. In Canada it’s tough to get into the housing market right out of the gate so many younger ham’s are getting their foot into the market with condo living. Then those ham’s who are retiring and want to downsize are considering condo life as well. I am here to say that in condo life there is also ham radio!!

Before we talk about the nuts and bolts of condo ham radio lets deal with some of the basics. I have always found it avoids condo board letters if you read and understand the rules and guidelines of your particular condo. Yes get used to it if you are going to move into a condo there are rules and expectations. What does this have to do with ham radio………well if you are seen as a respectful owner (or renter) of the condo board, residents and property it can go a long way.

For example most condo guidelines (nice condo word for RULES) do not allow “permanent antennas” on the balcony. This rule is yes for Amateur radio antennas but I believe the condo is concerned about the mini satellite dishes springing up or HD antennas. Just one of many challenges a condo radio op has to creatively deal with. In my case I have the MFJ 1788 mag loop and in my newest condo (6 months now) the antenna is portable and it not  “permanently” mounted on the balcony. In my humble opinion having a low key antenna is important. Having whip antennas extending over the balcony or wires making their way down the side of the building just invites a letter from you know who from the office of your know where!!  Like it or not we are all human and once this happens you have the microscope on you…..not a very nice situation to be in.

In a condo your fellow “condo-ites” are very close to you and that means RFI on your part but also on their part as well with all the unfiltered electronics on the market today. The positive outcome to this is you will become very knowledgeable on dealing with RFI. Oh and a word of advise…..I have read this in the past “go see your neighbor and suggest installing filters on their electronics” Up here in the land of snow and proverbial “thank you” we always say to apparently to everything……there is no thank you response from someone you are asking to tamper with their electronics. Rigs these days have excellent filtering and that are some accessories you can purchase to knock out the worst of offender.

Well that is enough for today….in posts to follow I am going to look at RFI, power output and no as a condo dweller you are not a QPRer for life………..nothing wrong with that either!! What antennas I have had that work, some of the better modes (not just digi either)  to work and last but not least what happens if your in a situation were absolutely operating is possible, well I am here to say that you will still be able to get on the air in you condo on HF working DX!
Stay tuned.

About 15 years ago, during a trip to Florida on an oppressively hot August day, I was dispatched to the local super market to get an ingredient for dinner. As I approached the entrance an older gentleman was heading toward his car. He was using his shopping cart more like a walker then a transporter of grocery items.

I noticed his car had a Purple Heart license plates I walked over to him and said, “Thank your for your sacrifice and service.” He literally started to cry, commenting that he had the plates for about 10 years and I was the first one ever to comment on them. In the ensuing conversation he disclosed he was wounded during the invasion of Guadalcanal and was also awarded the Bronze Star.

Starting on that eventful day I approached every veteran I could identify by sticking out my hand and saying, “Thanks for your service.” In the ensuing years everyone recipient would say, “thank you,” and frequently a nice conversation would follow.

When Viet Nam vets returned home they were treated with disdain. They didn’t dare wear their uniforms in public because people would curse at them and frequently they were spit upon.

I am of the opinion that irrespective of our personal opinions of the military and wars we owe a debt of thanks to those who severed, especially those who put their lives on the line. If I can identify a Viet Nam veteran I shake their hand and say, “Welcome home and thank you for your service.”

What is a Random Act of Kindness?

A random act of kindness is simply a deed we do to give pleasure to someone else with no expectation of anything in return. Thanking a vet is just one example, however, the kindness universe is infinite.

We humans tend to complain frequently and give accolades rarely. Have you ever complained to the manager of a restaurant that the meat was overcooked and the server was impolite? Thinking positively rather than negatively the comment could be, both your food and service was great.

The pervasiveness of a lack of positive feedback was driven home during my master’s graduation at Monmouth University. The then New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean was the keynote speaker. He started his presentation with the question, “How many of you know this is the year of the teacher?” Many people, especially students, raised there hand. He then asked, “For everyone, not just graduates, how many of you have had a teacher who made a meaningful impact or change in your life?” Almost everyone raised their hand. Next question from Governor Kean was, ‘How many of you ever took the time to thank teachers who had a meaningful impact on your life?” Almost no one raised their hand.

There is an important point here, just because someone is doing an outstanding job doesn’t mean they wouldn’t appreciate a pat on the back.

What Does This Have to do with Ham Radio?

Nothing and everything. Courtesy doesn’t have starting and ending boundaries. Have you ever thanked anyone who helped you with a difficult point when you were preparing for you license? How about a speaker of at a meeting? Almost everyone applauds the speaker but there is nothing like going up to the speaker and saying, “Great presentation, I learned a lot.” How about thanking the outgoing officers of your club, the publisher of your club’s newsletter or the person who makes the snacks at meetings?

My father’s mantra was, “The measure of a person is how they interact with someone who can do nothing for them in return. I think he was talking about random acts of kindness.

One last thought. Place a phone call to a couple of your ham radio friends and simply tell them, “Since I’ve met you I am enjoying ham radio much more which carries over to the quality of my life.”

Thanking or complementing someone will make you happy and possibly make the recipient’s day. It’s a win-win deal.

Stories you’ll find in our January, 2019 issue:

Exploring the Mysteries of Effective Radiated Power (ERP)
By Richard Fisher KI6SN

Why is it that some amateur stations you hear on the high frequency bands sound like they are international broadcasting stations? Sure, some may be running the full “legal limit” but many claim to be running just a few hundred watts. The secret is in their antenna—the higher the gain, the greater the Effective Radiated Power (ERP). This month Richard shows us that not only antenna gain but transmission mode has a lot to do with how big your signal sounds on the air and it doesn’t even require a lot of higher math to understand.

APRS and Other Related Digital Communications—Part II
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

As a follow-up to Part 1, which appeared in the August 2018 issue of TSM, this month Cory takes a look at some of the interesting digital modes available that are used for more than simply communicating between stations. While packet radio may seem like a relic of the 1980s and 90s, it’s still widely used in a variety of applications—including communicating through the International Space Station. Cory shows us how this is done and what kind of equipment you need to do it—hint: it’s not all expensive gear with a steep learning curve and you don’t have to have a ham ticket to monitor the action.

HF Transmitter Hunting using KiwiSDRs and TDoA
By Tony Roper

The proliferation of the globally connected and remotely operated KiwiSDRs (software defined radios) has proved a boon to shortwave listeners the world over. It’s also providing an intriguing platform for high-frequency transmitter hunters. Where are those numbers stations originating from? What is the location of those Over-the-Horizon Radar installations causing havoc on the band? Longtime HF sleuth (and professional Air Traffic Controller), Tony Roper, a regular contributor to TSM walks us through the process of using these convenient radios to help answer these age-old shortwave questions.

Winter Shortwave Reading: TSM Reviews the Top Three Shortwave Guides
“Klingenfuss 2019/20 Guide to Utility Radio Stations” and “2019 Shortwave Frequency Guide”
Reviewed by Bob Grove W8JHD

This year Joerg Klingenfuss celebrates his 30th anniversary of publishing his “Guide to Utility Radio Stations” and his “Shortwave Frequency Guide.” Both publications have become indispensable guides to radio hobbyists around the world.

Gayle Van Horn’s “Global Radio Guide”
Reviewed by Ken Reitz KS4ZR

This year marks the debut of Gayle Van Horn’s “Global Radio Guide,” a 456-page compendium of global broadcasting as an e-book available only in Kindle format. The Global Radio Guide replaces her very successful “International Shortwave Broadcasting Guide.”

“World Radio Television Handbook”
Reviewed by Gayle Van Horn W4GVH

The 73rd edition of the World Radio Television Handbook is a wealth of vital information for any radio or television hobbyist and remains the most comprehensive exemplary reference book and a must-have for your listening post.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Nevada Shared Radio System

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Hiding in Plain Sight: Federal Communications Systems

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitor’s Guide to NAS Whiting Field and Training Wing Five

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
Cuban and Russian “Numbers” Continue

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Space and Near Space Communications

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Double Vision

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
New Year, New Milestone, New Tidbits

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
AIR in DRM and Understanding RDS

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
State of the Union, er…High Frequencies (An Outlook for 2019)

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Jeff White, Secretary-Treasurer NASB
European SW DXers Meet in Slovakia and Austria

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
WRNO’s Powerful Return; WRMI’s International Programming: BBC Lineup

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Snow, Ice and RF

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Part 15: Radio as You Like It

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Stealth: Fighting Antenna Oppression

Stories you’ll find in our December, 2018 edition:

The Beginnings of FM Radio Broadcasting
By John F. Schneider W9FGH

We take broadcasting on the FM band for granted today, but getting to this point required early proponents of FM broadcasting to fight every step of the way. Among FM foes were the giants of AM broadcasting; the emerging powers behind television; that rascal David Sarnoff of RCA; even the FCC itself and the fact that there were only 25 FM receivers in the entire world. John explains all the things you don’t know about FM radio (including the fact that Edwin Armstrong didn’t invent that method of modulation—by a long shot) and how FM almost died in the aftermath of World War II.

The EICO story; the Electronic Instrument Company and its Kits
By Rich Post KB8TAD

Founded in 1945 by Harry R. Ashley, with an investment of $1,500, EICO was a competitor of Heathkit and Allied Knight-kits in the heyday of kit-built test equipment, audio products and ham gear. All those kits are now in the nostalgia category, but because they were well documented, mostly put together with screws rather than rivets, they can still be repaired and used. In fact, Rich tells us that some of the ham and audio gear and certain useful pieces of test equipment have become quite collectible. Rich also explains how, despite a shift to consumer electronics audio gear, like Heathkit and Allied Radio, EICO never made it past the computer era.

Classic Rock Era is Alive on Shortwave
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR

There’s something about Classic Rock music that just won’t fade. And, anyone who remembers shortwave radio programming in the 1970s and 80s, knows that rock music was readily found on the shortwave bands from the BBC and VOA’s regular music programming to private American shortwave stations such as WRNO “The Rock of New Orleans,” and Radio New York Worldwide. But thanks to programming on WTWW, WRMI, Radio New Zealand International and the Mighty KBC, the bands are alive once more with the pulsing sounds of Classic Rock.

BCB DX’ing With That Old Transistor Radio
By Richard Fisher, KI6SN

You have to wonder how many AM transistor radios have been relegated to the back of our junk drawers because “they just don’t work very well.” A reasonable guess would be in the seven figures over the decades. For strong local stations that may be just fine, but for the BCB DXer, the shrinking antennas bring awfully discouraging results. These transistor portables are more prone to local manmade interference as well. Richard shows us an easy and inexpensive solution to this dilemma in a tunable AM broadcast band loop antenna. Follow his step-by-step instructions and make even your transistor radios perform.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Fayette County (GA) and Intro to ULS

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Federal Wavelengths 2018 Wrap Up

Milcom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitoring Santa Claus, NORAD and Combat Air Patrols

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
Chasing Italian MF Coastal Stations

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Hugh Stegman and Mike Chace-Ortiz

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
CubeSats go to Mars

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Complex Simplex

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Confessions of an Autotuner Abuser

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Chasing AM Band DX: Then and Now

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Winter DX is at the Door

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Rob Wagner VK3BVW
Propagation Tools, Wire Antennas and DX News

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
New Programming from Spain and Greece Plus: Christmas Around the World

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Amateur Radio Satellite Primer (Continued)

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
SDR Startup: It’s a Wrap!

Adventures in Radio Restorations
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Recollecting My First EICO: The 425 Oscilloscope

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
First Antenna: The Selection Process

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