Just a quick note before I move on to more important things:

There is a lot of sad things going on in my life at the moment, that is one big major reason I am not fulfilling the full potential of this blog with what I set out from the begining to do.

This will stagger on in this  sameway for sometime in the future, most of my Amateur Radio antics has been on hold for the last 18 months or so, I  see no light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks to you all that visit,  I know you are looking in.






Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].

Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.

The 2019 State of the Hobby Survey, a comprehensive questionnaire for ham radio operators (and other interested participants), opened this week and will be available throughout March.

Dustin Thomas, N8RMA, got the idea for a comprehensive ham radio survey while browsing Reddit back in 2017. “I started to notice an influx of surveys being posted, almost all in regards to highly specific topics in amateur radio,” he says. “I made sure to complete the surveys but always wondered what the results were. So I decided to host my own survey, make it broad enough for anyone in this diverse hobby (not easy) and publish the results as hard as I solicited responses.”

First licensed in 2014, Dustin upgraded to General in 2015 and looks forward to reaching Extra. His personal ham radio interests include contesting, DX, and Field Day operations. But as he got into the hobby, he wondered where it was headed. They survey is a way for him to make a meaningful contribution toward the hobby’s future.

“I always wanted some baseline questions to compare from year to year, as well as specific issues impacting amateur radio today,” he says. “The State of the Hobby was born.”

Dustin pointed out some highlights — and surprises — from the 2018 State of the Hobby survey:

• Concerns over HOA’s came in as the third most reported issue (fourth overall as the biggest single issue) yet 75% of respondents reporting not being effected by an HOA
• Respondents ranked HF award nets (such as 3905 Century Club and OMISS) very low – on par with believing there should be a code requirement for licensing
• 68% of respondents claimed to have talked with a new ham in the last 12 months
• DMR seems to be growing in terms of local repeaters, outranking both YSF and D-Star

Why should you bother to take the survey?

“It’s important for independent bodies (independent from the ARRL or commercial organizations with unknown agendas) to solicit and publish the opinions of ham radio operators,” Dustin says.
“This survey will give us insight into what is working and what is not, new or emerging trends in modes or activities, and successful ways to increase membership and licensing.”

He said interest in the survey has surprised him and that several clubs have reached our to say they’ve used insight from the survey to promote ham radio and establish new activities.

Dustin hopes to get more opinions this year from folks who may be studying for their license, or on the fence about whether to get involved. “This year I’ve also included a second for those not yet licensed, but who are interested,” he says. “This will give us a great insight into how new operators are preparing, what works / what doesn’t, and what recently caused them to be interested.”

More information:
https://www.radiosoth.org/2019/03/2019-state-of-hobby-survey.html

2019 survey link:
https://goo.gl/forms/fllqlu7kRkq0enAg1

Matt Thomas, W1MST, is the managing editor of AmateurRadio.com. Contact him at [email protected].

Ham College episode 50 is now available for download.

General Amateur Radio Exam part 21. Decibels and Power. S units. Amplifier Classes.
1:09:19

Download
YouTube

George Thomas, W5JDX, is co-host of AmateurLogic.TV, an original amateur radio video program hosted by George Thomas (W5JDX), Tommy Martin (N5ZNO), Peter Berrett (VK3PB), and Emile Diodene (KE5QKR). Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Leslie Butterfield G0CIB, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, Bill Barnes N3JIX and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief and this episode’s feature is an interview by Frank Howell (K4FMH) with Amateur Radio Author Don Keith (N4KC)

ICQ AMATEUR/HAM RADIO PODCAST DONORS

We would like to thank Richard Boley and Dino Papas (KL0S) along with our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

• Cricket World Cup Amateur Radio Marathon
• Comments Wanted on Amateur Radio Related Petition for Rule Making
• Radio Hams Transfer Crypto Currency on 40m Band
• Golden Globe Sailing Race - Penalty Given for Ham Radio Use
• Carole Perry (WB2MGP) is First Recipient of Award Named in Her Honor
• Tate Gallery Features Ham Radio Art
• St Patrick’s Day Special Events Station GB1SPD
• VeroRoute
• Highest Ever SOTA Activation

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Stories you’ll find in our July, 2018 issue:

TSM Guide to Monitoring Air Shows
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW

Every year from March through November, millions of people hit the road to watch the excitement and thrills as military and civilian aero teams put their high-performance aircraft through their paces to entertain the crowds and perform at air shows all over the world.But you can add to the experience by monitoring the performing teams’ radio communications. With a radio scanner in hand, you will experience a whole new perspective of the show that few attendees will experience. Larry lets us all in on the frequencies used by all participants in these shows in VHF and UHF civilian and military bands.

A Look Back at the 2018 Air Shows
By Brian and Jo Marie Topolski

Air shows offer a variety of aerial action and every year is a little bit different. Veteran air show attendees, Brian and Jo Marie, give us a look ahead at the 2019 season and a look back at what happened last year. Among the new teams to look for this year are the Royal Air Force aerobatic jet team known as the Red Arrows and the US Department of Defense F-35A Lightning II demonstration team. Brian and Jo Marie tell you where you are likely to hear communications from these teams as well as all of the others. The duo also takes a look back at the losses that occurred during last year’s air show season.

Photos from 2018:
B-52 Stratofortress; Japanese Navy Type 97; Mitchell B-25
By Brian and Jo Marie Topolski

It’s hard not to be attracted to the impressive sight of a Blue Angels or Thunderbirds aerial demonstration. The number of planes in the air at once, the deafening sound of their pass across air show center are thrilling. But there are plenty of quality side shows as well. Brian looks closely at several examples of vintage aircraft and the role they played in aviation history.

In the Air for Sean D. Tucker’s Last Solo Season
By Kevin Burke

The dramatic photo on the front cover was taken by Kevin Burke, who has had the opportunity several times to fly in a chase plane following the daring aerial exploits of veteran air show pilot, Sean D. Tucker. It’s not an easy assignment and to get this kind of photo you need to have a good camera, plenty of experience using it and an ability to forget that you’re being held into the plane by a belt during a flight nearly as breathtaking as Sean’s.

Photographing USAF Thunderbirds’ Air Show Demonstration
By Kevin Burke

When you go to an air show, you’ll want to bring along your camera to try to freeze some of the drama for later viewing. But, there’s a trick to photographing moving objects, particularly when they’re moving at hundreds of miles per hour, at heights anywhere from 200 feet to 5,000 feet, under rapidly changing light conditions. Kevin has had a lot of experience doing so and has some tips for your next air show.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Scanning Jackson County, Mississippi

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Atlanta Federal Mysteries and Super Bowl 53

MilCom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitoring Venezuela’s Military

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
Rejoice! WWV is Saved!

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
ESA Astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI and
UK Space Agency’s Principia Education Campaign

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
EMCOMM and DV Radio

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Antennas before Amplifiers

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
OTA-TV and the Mystery of HDMI

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
It’s a Gray Area

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Shortwave Listening in the 21stCentury

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Shortwave Still Offers Exotic Listening

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

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Still Learning with SDRs!

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
James Millen and the Toy Company

Antenna Connections
Dan Farber AC0LW
Flying High Again: Aircraft Antennas

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 is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

Ken Reitz, KS4ZR, is publisher and managing editor of The Spectrum Monitor. Contact him at [email protected].

Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.