Home//CQ Amateur Radio/June 2019/In This Issue
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019ANNOUNCEMENTSJUNE BOONE, IOWA — The 3900 Club will hold Hamboree 2019 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, June 1 at the Boone County Fairgrounds-Community Building, 1601 Industrial Park Road. Contact: Clay Conard, WØFS, (515) 838-2285. Email: <hamboree@3900club.com>. Website: <www.3900club.com>. Talk-in 146.850-. VE exams, DXCC card checking. HILTON, NEW YORK — The Rochester Amateur Radio Association will hold the 92nd Rochester Hamfest from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, June 1 at the Hilton Exempt Club, 137 South Avenue. Email: <hfproducer@rochesterham.org>. Website: <https://rochesterham.org>. VE exams, WAS / WAC / DXCC / VUCC card checking. HUDSONVILLE, MICHIGAN — The Independent Repeater Association will hold the 2019 Hudsonville IRA Hamfest from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 1 at the Hudsonville Fairgrounds, 5235 Park Avenue. Contact: Kathy, KB8KZH, (616) 541-4090. Email: <hamfest@w8ira.org>.…12 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019NEWS BYTESW5LFL, First Ham in Space, SK Former astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, the first person to operate an amateur radio station from space, has become a Silent Key at age 88. He died April 15th at his home in Huntsville, Alabama. Garriott held a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University, where he also taught before joining NASA in 1965 as a scientist-astronaut. According to NASA, he authored or co-authored more than 40 scientific papers and one book on ionospheric physics. Garriott’s first trip to space was aboard Skylab 3 in 1973, where he and crewmates Alan Bean and Jack Lousma spent nearly two months, at that point the longest single-mission spaceflight on record. He returned to space in 1983 aboard the shuttle Columbia, a 10-day science mission known as STS-9/Spacelab-1.…3 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Hamming and HuntingIhave been a ham for 56 years and a deer hunter for over 40. As any good deer hunter will tell you, you will spend many hours — sometimes days — just sitting alone in a deer stand. Deer season in Monroe County, Georgia, runs from September 15 through January 7 each year, and most weekends and holidays will find me in my deer stand. This has left me out of some of the best times for hamming. Over the past 45 years, I guess I’ve missed out on a lot of contacts with special event stations, DX stations, contests, and just plain radio fun with friends. Most deer stands are very small and have room for only one person. But this past summer, I bought a new and larger…4 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Results of the 2018 CQ DX MarathonWhether you are a supporter of FT8 or want nothing to do with it, this new mode had a major impact on the 2018 CQ DX Marathon. With truly bad band conditions in 2018, we expected a significant drop in total QSOs and lower overall scores. We did see lower total scores but total QSOs were essentially flat from 2017 and actually higher than 2016. More than half of all QSOs in 2018 were made using digital modes, with the majority of those being FT8. In 2016, digital QSOs made up just 20% of the overall QSO total. FT8 did bring some new hams to the DX Marathon, but their FT8 QSOs clearly came at the expense of phone QSOs, which were 40% of all QSOs in 2015, yet just…13 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019A Visit to “Last Man Standing,” or “The Cat In The Hat Goes To Hollywood”For seven seasons, six of which were on ABC and the most recent one on Fox, the TV series “Last Man Standing” has been a hit. We hams noticed right away that the lead character of Mike Baxter, played by Tim Allen, always had amateur radio gear on display in the background. A few episodes even have involved the use of amateur radio as part of the episode. Unlike other shows, amateur radio is portrayed accurately on “Last Man Standing,” thanks to the hams responsible for its production. Real Station, Real Hams Tim Allen is actually a licensed ham (KK6OTD), as are many members of the production staff. What many hams do not realize is that the gear you see on display in the show is real and fully functional.…5 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019THE LISTENING POSTWe reported in March that Radio Australia’s decision in 2017 to shut down its shortwave service had become a campaign issue in this year’s national elections, and that the opposition Labor Party had pledged to restore shortwave service to the remote Northern Territory if it won control of Parliament. While that election had not yet been held as this issue went to press, Radio World is reporting that private broadcasters are already filling the breach, with two stations already on the air and several others in the wings. The challenge for DXers in North America: Low power, low frequencies and wire antennas. They are essentially glorified ham stations (one is even using ham equipment) but as any lowband ham DXer can tell you, working Australia on the low shortwave frequencies…2 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019KIT-BUILDINGThe QRPMe Pocket Pal II This month, I am building a kit that helps you find good parts at a hamfest flea market, or in your junk box. With the hamfest season in full swing, I have found that even the simplest things discovered in a flea market need to be tested somehow. There are treasures like LEDs, receivers, transmitters, speakers, headsets, and panel meters available, but no easy way to test them. The QRPMe Pocket Pal II is an Altoids®-sized kit put out by Rex Harper, W1REX, and tests all the things I just mentioned. The Pocket Pal II combines a simple signal generator that works on 20 and 40 meters, a frequency counter, a panel meter tester, crystal tester, LED tester, and a speaker/headset tester. That is a…5 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019COMMUNICATIONS HORIZONSYou may know that the standard for broadcast television video since the digital conversion a few years ago is known as ATSC, which stands for Advanced Television Systems Committee, the name of the body responsible for formulating the standard (the analog standard in the U.S. and Canada was NTSC, for National Television Systems Committee). Almost as soon as the FCC and international standards bodies approved the initial ATSC standard, work began on a successor. ATSC 2.0 was nearly dead before it got off the ground, though. The rapid pace of technology meant that a standard focused on advanced video compression, targeted advertising, better programming guides, and video on demand was outpaced by the marketplace before it could be formulated. That meant work quickly focused on ATSC 3.0, and that new…7 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019LEARNING CURVEHave you noticed that ham radio operators often combine two or more interests with their ham radio passion? Hams who have pilot’s licenses enjoy working aeronautical mobile. Others enjoy travel and go on DXpeditions to far-away locations. If they enjoy astronomy, they may make contacts with satellites or search outer space using radio telescopes. Amateur radio is truly a diversified hobby and this diversity is the impetus for continued growth. Along these lines, the fields of ionospheric and meteorological studies can help find ways to extend communications range for grid chasing in the VHF (very high frequency), UHF (ultra high frequency), and SHF (super high frequency) bands. Line of Sight Many hams learn that communication paths at VHF and higher frequencies are limited to “line of sight.” Line of sight…10 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019USA-CA Award #1266: Patty Chiles, ACØCUI earned my Technician license in 1994, for the sole purpose of being able to communicate with my husband Ernie, WØRMS, on the local 2-meter band. Seeking a greater challenge, I upgraded my license in 2004 to General and Amateur Extra. Like so many newbies, I was afraid of the radio and of making mistakes. Eventually, I accepted Ernie’s challenge and overcame my fears to earn my Worked All States award from the ARRL. In 2011, with support from my Elmer in the chair next to me, I began making radio contacts, many of them on 6 meters. I ordered my first QSL cards and was off and running. Ernie told me that I needed to get on OMISS to make more contacts and gain more experience, so I joined…3 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019CONTESTINGHeadliners Include ARRL Field Day, IARU HF Championship, and the CQ World Wide VHF Contest Plus: New WSJT-X FT4 Digital Mode for Contesters; World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) Rules Evolution This is an excellent time to finish antenna fix-ups and rebuilds. At least where I live, it is best to be done before the summer’s heat peaks and it’s just too hot to work outside. The air-conditioned shack is much more comfortable. This is conducive to getting in some operating time, either in the shack or on some short expeditions to higher elevations, cooler islands, or at least under the shade of trees in a park (This is, after all, our annual “Take it to the Field” special – ed.). June is the month for ARRL’s annual VHF contest. Many…16 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019HAM RADIO NEWSHonda Recalls Several Generator Models Heads-up before you head out for Field Day … American Honda has recalled several models of its portable generators. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall affects models EU2200i, EU2200i Companion, and EB2200i, colored red or camouflage. It says the generators can develop leaks from the fuel valve, posing fire and burn hazards, and advises purchasers to take them to an authorized Honda Power Equipment dealer for a free repair. Some 200,000 generators are involved in the recall. More information is available on the CPSC website at <https://tinyurl.com/y3vol9n2>. ARRL to FCC: Ignore the QRM on Tech Enhancement The ARRL has called on the FCC to disregard off-topic comments received in response to its 2018 proposal for enhanced HF privileges for Technician Class hams.…10 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Finding My True NorthThe title of this article might sound like a way to align your beam antenna correctly when installing it on a tower. As appropriate as such an article would be in this publication, this one is more about finding myself, doing something outside of my comfort zone that would end up being one of the best experiences of my life, how I accomplished it and how you could, too. Rewind to May 1990. I had just graduated from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan with a degree in electrical engineering and was ready to start my career. A couple of my buddies who graduated with me took the time to visit nearby Isle Royale National Park (ISRO), located in Lake Superior, for several days after graduation. While I was invited…19 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019OH1ØX: A New IOTA Counter Right on Our DoorstepInakari Island EU-192 in the Tornio River Delta One can only dream about a new DXCC or IOTA counter suddenly being born one morning right on your doorstep. As Godfather to some 12 new DXCC entities, I have seen that strange situation more than once before. However, on this occasion, we suddenly learned that a new IOTA counter had been born right within our own homeland, Finland. Inakari Island (the Finnish section) and Kataja Island (the Swedish part) had been designated by IOTA management as EU-192. Preparation work needed to be done for the first-ever operation from this new IOTA, even though we were still in the depths of winter. This preparation work was done in close collaboration with Gerben Menting, PG5M, who, a decade earlier, had first highlighted the…8 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Jesse Bunnell – Civil War TelegrapherSoon after Confederate forces fired the first shots of the Civil War in April 1861, when they attacked Fort Sumter, 17-year-old Jesse H. Bunnell joined up with the Union Military Telegraph Service. He and his young counterparts were civilians, underpaid at $60 a month and constantly in harm’s way, dodging, in Union Army parlance, “doses of hot lead.” Even so, peril came with the job: Getting the message through, sometimes from the Commander-in-Chief himself to his generals on the battlefield. Jesse was born in Ohio a year before Samuel F. B. Morse in 1843 successfully sent the first telegraph message from the Supreme Court chambers in Washington, DC, to his assistant in Baltimore, Maryland. “What Hath God Wrought,” it read — words that could apply to Jesse’s life and what…9 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Build a Straight Key CQerWhile I have modern radios and high-speed electronic keyers and paddles, I enjoy using a straight key and old rigs. It’s a chance to slow down a bit and enjoy operating for operating’s sake. There are a number of events and groups to help you enjoy the lure of straight keys as well, such as Straight Key Night (SKN), the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC), Novice Rig Roundup (NRR), and Novice Rig Night (NRN) held every Monday. I operate all of these using my trusty Heathkit DX-60B transmitter and a straight key handed down by my father, WB6MNX (SK). These activities all have in common the use of straight keys. However, it can be tiring to send out CQ for long times waiting for a QSO, plus I like to…7 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019QRP: Low-Power CommunicationsWelcome to the June QRP column. By the time you read this column, I will have finished the dreaded task of spring cleaning. Each year my XYL plans a full weekend of cleaning the house from top to bottom (including my ham shack) to rid the house of dust and cobwebs. Other than a clean house, the only positive outcome from a weekend of cleaning is dining out at my favorite local Chinese restaurant while the kitchen is under lock-down for cleaning. One other positive outcome stemmed from this year’s cleaning event; I found a QRP dummy load kit I had purchased at a hamfest and had presumably lost until I found it mixed in with my collection of antenna books, past CQ magazines, and an array of other items…12 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019ANTENNASWA5VJB has been busy stringing antennas between satellites — in orbit — and wasn’t able to finish his planned column for this issue. Filling in for Kent this month is Robert Glorioso, W1IS, who describes how he solved some problems in making dual-band J-poles (intended mostly for field use) function well on both 2 meters and 70 centimeters. – W2VU The J-pole typically used as a VHF/UHF vertical is not the usual quarter-wave antenna with radials. Rather, it is a half-wave end-fed vertical dipole often made with TV type 300-Ohm twin lead that doesn’t need radials1,2. I have been making 2-meter versions of these for members of our ARES group for a few years and they have been successfully used by new hams, formerly inactive hams, and active members as…8 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019BEHIND THE BYLINES…Mark Schreiner, NK8Q (“Finding My True North,” p. 10), has been a ham since 1982 and currently enjoys operating QRP CW, often while hiking. Mark also enjoys HF mobile operating, primarily on 17 meters, and sometimes drives to a park or other quiet location on his lunch break to work CW. His trip to Isle Royale National Park was nearly 20 years in the making! Terry Joyner, W4YBV (“Hamming and Hunting,” p. 18), is a frequent contributor to CQ. He has written before about IOTA (Islands On The Air) activations with his radio club in Georgia. This issue’s article deals with a more solitary pursuit, as his ham station is now keeping him company during quiet times while deer hunting. Martti Laine, OH2BH (“OH1ØX: A New IOTA Counter Right on…2 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Complete Rules – The CQ USACounties Award (USA-CA) ProgramThe United States of America Counties Award (USA-CA), sponsored by CQ magazine, is issued for confirmed twoway radio contacts with specified numbers of U.S. counties under rules and conditions hereafter stated. The USA-CA Program A. Award Classes The USA Counties Award is issued in seven different classes, each a separate achievement as endorsed on the basic certificate by use of special seals for higher class. Also, special endorsements are made for all one band or mode operations, subject to the rules. B. Conditions 1. USA-CA is available to all licensed amateurs everywhere in the world and is issued to them as individuals for all county contacts made, regardless of calls held, operating QTHs, or dates. 2. Special USA-CA awards are also available to SWLs on a heard basis. 3. All…5 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019DXI’ve covered this subject in the past but it may be time to continue the discussion. Recently, a few DXpeditions have decided to challenge some of the DXpedition funding organizations’ policies. As such, I feel that it is appropriate to review this subject. How do DXpedition funding organizations solicit and distribute their funds? Each one is a little different. Having handled QSLs for multiple megaDXpeditions, I have some internal knowledge of various requirements. Also, as you may know, I am the current president of The International DX Association (INDEXA) <www.indexa.org> and we have our own requirements for DXpedition funding. It is the ultimate responsibility of all funding organizations to do their best to protect their investment in any DXpedition that they are asked to support. This usually starts by requiring…7 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Looking Ahead…Here are some of the articles we’re working on for upcoming issues of CQ. • Ham Uses for Computer Power Supplies • CQ Hall of Fame Announcements • Results: 2019 CQ World Wide RTTY WPX Contest Plus… • Hams and Makers: Perfect Together Upcoming Special Issues October: Emergency Communications December: Technology February: QRP Do you have a hobby radio story to tell? Something for one of our specials? CQ now covers the entire radio hobby. See our writers’ guidelines on the CQ website at <http://bit.ly/2qBFOdU>.…1 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019HAMSHOPAdvertising Rates: Non-commercial ads are 20 cents per word including abbreviations and addresses. Commercial and organization ads are $1.00 per word. Boldface words are $1.50 each (specify which words). Minimum charge $2.00. No ad will be printed unless accompanied by full remittance. All ads must be typewritten double-spaced. Closing Date: The 10th day in the third month preceding date of publication (example: Jan. 10th for the March issue). Because the advertisers and equipment contained in Ham Shop have not been investigated, the Publisher of CQ cannot vouch for the merchandise listed therein. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement. Direct all correspondence and ad copy to: CQ Ham Shop, 17 West John Street, Hicksville, NY 11801 (fax: 516-681-2926; e-mail: <hamshop@cq-amateur-radio.com>. AMECO AC-1 DIY Kits: www.thenewameco.com Affordable Custom Antenna…5 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019ZERO BIAS: A CQ EditorialThis is being written a week before this year’s Dayton Hamvention®, where Advertising Manager and Production Director Dottie Kehrwieder; Managing Editor Jason Feldman, KD2IWM; and I, along with several columnists, award mangers and contest directors, will staff the CQ booth, visit with manufacturers and dealers, and lead or take part in various forums and other events. Collectively, this group of staff members, contributing editors and award/contest managers are the “public face” of our magazine, representing us to the amateur radio community and industry. But there’s another group of people behind the scenes whose work is at least equally important to CQ’s success, but who are rarely recognized. This seems like a good time to do that, and to say “thank you.” Art Director Liz Ryan and Production Manager/Sales Coordinator Emily…4 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019A Tribute to Ron, WB3AAL (SK)While hiking at Isle Royale National Park during the summer of 2016 my goal was to activate all four of the island’s Summits on the Air (SOTA) peaks. Only one had previously been activated. I was very pleased that the very first log entry each time I got on the air was with my good friend, Ron Polityka, WB3AAL, who is now a Silent Key (SK). Ron was the person who got me into the combination of hiking and ham radio. We hiked various places along the Appalachian Trail together, enjoying things like the FYBO (Freeze Your Butt Off) event sponsored by the AZSQRPions and other fun QRP events, or just getting out for a stretch of the legs and a bit of radio operating. I had given Ron a…3 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 20199G2DX – 4X DXpedition to GhanaLike many ham radio DXpeditions, this amazing adventure began about two years ago. Innocently enough, I took the challenge to handle the importation and installation of DMR repeaters being donated by an “unknown” radio ham in Africa. The donor turned out to be Haim Lewy, 9G5AF, a ham from Israel, now based in Accra, Ghana, and the owner of SkyLinks, a communication company doing business in Africa. My close friend, Dov Gavish, 4Z4DX, immediately recognized the opportunity to operate in a rare QTH. An additional plus was to include locations in the WWFF (World Wide Flora and Fauna program), and to be the first ones worldwide to operate from Ghana on 30, 60, and 80 meters. It looked like a weird vision initially, but fortunately, Haim took the challenge to…12 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Danger at St. ElmoYou may recall my June 2016 CQ article titled, “WØRW’s Top Ten List for Portable QRP Success.” The photos I used to illustrate that article came from one of my pedestrian-mobile operations in St. Elmo, Colorado, one of the state’s best-preserved ghost towns. Number 10 on my Top Ten list was “safety,” with a focus on being prepared for adverse weather and other surprises. Well, here’s number 11, or maybe a subset of #10: Know your surroundings and whether it’s safe to operate your rig from a given location. Just a couple of years after the visit in my photos, members of Historic St. Elmo and Chalk Creek Canyon, Inc., found a potentially explosive surprise while cleaning out the out house behind the Home Comfort Hotel in St. Elmo ……2 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019MATH’S NOTESAs in the case of last month’s column, we would like to revisit a topic that is, perhaps, not so esoteric but can easily be duplicated by anyone with a bit of effort. And yes, it does really work and if you try it, you will be amazed. You will also see that many experimenters, not just Mr. Marconi, were actively looking for a way to communicate without wires in the late 19th century. Incidentally the first part of this column is a good project with which to inspire a technically-oriented youngster, although the rest might be beyond simple experimentation. Who knows who might be inspired to go further? To recap my previous discussion: In the early days of radio, many schemes were developed to try to achieve communications without…5 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019ANALOG ADVENTURESHopefully, since our last installment, you’ve taken the opportunity to toss together and test a very simple op-amp-centered amplifier without releasing too much magic smoke. (Don’t worry if you did happen to release some magic smoke; it’s probably the best way to learn how to make electronic circuits work. Truth be told, my very personality is largely the result of having inhaled solder fumes and released magic smoke for several decades. Far be it from me to deprive any new ham of such an enriching experience). Today, we will talk a bit about amplifying DC signals. As uninspiring as that may sound, it is an extremely useful skill to learn, and actually a lot more interesting than you may have thought. Traditionally, electronics courses have divided electrical and electronic circuits…10 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019MICROCONTROLLERS IN AMATEUR RADIOPlus, a Pi With a Pedigree This month, we start with an email from Ralph Irons, N4RLI, who told me: “I recently developed a very simple Arduino Leonardo project, Num ++, which gives DigiPan software <www.digipan.net> the ability to automatically increment serial numbers for contest operating.” He provided a short video demonstration link <https://youtube/0aZpmwHbfv4> and said the complete project description is at <https://tinyurl.com/y5oqmkqm>. Ralph’s project adds a missing feature to DigiPan software to allow easier contest exchanges. Pushing the first button sends his callsign to answer a CQ. Pressing the second button sends the contest exchange with an auto-incremented serial number. Pressing the third will repeat the same exchange if the other station needs a fill. Our next Arduino project comes from John Price, WA2FZW: “Yet Another Audio Interface for…4 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019VHF PLUSHamSCI Workshop 2019 The second HamSCI Workshop was held Friday March 22nd and Saturday March 23rd in Cleveland, Ohio, at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). For those not familiar with HamSCI, it was started in 2015 by ham-scientists who study upper atmospheric and space physics. Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, an assistant research professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (NJIT-CSTR) and Dayton’s 2019 Radio Amateur of the Year, was one of the principal organizers of HamSCI. The intent of HamSCI and its associated projects is to help advance our understanding of radio propagation by taking advantage of the network of radio amateurs as citizen scientists to observe and collect data in support of ongoing research activities. Examples of the data collection networks that are generating…7 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019AWARDSWhile we continue our search for a successor to K1BV as Awards Editor, we’ll continue to profile CQ’s own operating awards with a close-up look at USA-CA (the USA Counties Award), including some rules updates and the introduction of a new award custodian. –W2VU Quick! How many counties are there in the United States? If you’re a county hunter, you’ll know the answer off the top of your head. And if you think it’s a challenge to make confirmed contacts with 100 countries or all 50 states for ARRL’s DXCC or Worked All States awards, try on CQ’s USA-CA for size. Earning the USA-Counties Award All-Counties recognition requires making confirmed contacts with hams in every coun ty in every state in the United States. How many is that? How about…5 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019OUR READERS SAY…“Smart Cars” Editor, CQ: I read your April editorial where you mention V2X technology (so-called “smart cars”). In the article you talk about how cool it would be for your car to recognize stop lights or adjust according to speed limit changes. That already exists without V2X; you just need one of these… – Matthew Kaskavitch, KØLWC Denver, Colorado …and a Tesla owner Conflicting Color Standards Editor, CQ: Very good article by Irwin Math, WA2NDM (“Math’s Notes,” March 2019, “Electrical Safety Considerations”). I would like to add a few points. 1. Everybody refers to house electrical wiring as being 120V or 240V. However, that is the RMS voltage. The peaks are about 170V and 340V, respectively. If people knew they were dealing with that much voltage, they might, I hope,…2 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019PROPAGATIONA Quick Look at Current Cycle 24 Conditions (Data rounded to nearest whole number) Sunspots: Observed Monthly, March 2019: 6 12-month smoothed, September 2018: 4 10.7 cm Flux: Observed Monthly, March 2019: 72 12-month smoothed, September 2018: 70 Ap Index: Observed Monthly, March 2019: 6 12-month smoothed, September 2018: 7 One Year Ago: A Quick Look at Solar Cycle Conditions (Data rounded to nearest whole number) Sunspots: Observed Monthly, March 2018: 2 12-month smoothed, September 2017: 11 10.7 cm Flux: Observed Monthly, March 2018: 68 12-month smoothed, September 2017: 76 Ap Index: Observed Monthly, March 2018: 8 12-month smoothed, September 2017: 10 During the last decade, amazing advances have been made in the tools and techniques used to research our nearest star. For example, solar scientists now have at their…9 min
CQ Amateur Radio|June 2019Oops…CQ MF/LF Editor John Langridge, KB5NJD, reports that an eagle-eyed reader caught an error in terminology in his April column, “Let’s Talk About Transmitting Loops for MF and LF”: Glenn, W9IQ, sent a note indicating that I had an error in reporting in this article and he is correct. On page 68, I referred to 120 milliwatts as EIRP (Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power) in the text and caption for Figure 2. This value is actually radiated power. After review of the notes from N1VF (whose antenna is described in the article), Ben did note that this value was, in fact, radiated power. He added that he’d made no attempt to determine a realistic directional component that would be necessary to determine EIRP. He also noted that the 120-mW value was…2 min
