KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

Books and Magazines

Odd problem with my Tech study guide PDF

By 5 Comments

So, I just got this email:

Hi Dan,

I was searching for a study guide for a friend of mine who wants to get his Tech class license. I came across the PDF version of your study guide, downloaded it and started going through it.

I don’t know if it is just me (as I am blind and use a screen reader), but I can not believe how many misspellings there are in this document. For example, the word “find” is always missing the letter “i”. Was this done on purpose? It would make me hesitant to recommend the purchase of the physical book.

Just curious.

Thanks,
John

No one has ever mentioned this to me before, so, I downloaded a fresh copy from my website. Just looking at it, all the words seem correct, but searching for words gives me different results. When I searched for “find,” there were three results, all spelled correctly. When I searched for “fnd,” however, there were 14 results, and when I looked for them in the text, the complete word “find” appears. See the screen shot below.

Click to see a bigger version of this screen shot.

This happens in both the browser’s PDF viewer and the Mac Preview app, so I’m guessing that the problem is with the PDF file, not the programs

I’m not sure what to make of this, except perhaps that when I created the PDF (I use Libre Office on a Mac), some words got mangled in the export process, such that the fellow’s screen reader and the PDF viewer search functions aren’t seeing some characters even though they are there in the text. I don’t know what screen reader he’s using, but I’ve sent a reply asking for that information. I’ve also asked what other words he’s seeing as misspelled.

Have any of you ever seen something like this? Can you think of anything that I might do to fix my PDF files?

New benefit for ARRL members

By 2 Comments

This just in from the ARRL. You can accuse me of being an ARRL fanboy, but I think this is a nice benefit…..Dan

ARRL members will now receive digital access to four ARRL magazines beginning with their latest issues. Joining QST and On the Air on a digital platform will be the bimonthly editions of QEX — The Forum for Communications Experimenters and NCJ — National Contest Journal. QEX includes articles, columns, and other features ranging from construction projects to more advanced technical information in radio theory and practice. NCJ targets radio amateurs active in radiosport, and includes scores, technical articles, contributions from top contesters, and advice for radiosport enthusiasts alike.

“All members can enjoy specialized content and a high-quality reading experience whether at their desk or on the go. Offering this suite of digital magazines is an opportunity for us to give members more of what they want while adding value to ARRL membership” said ARRL Publications Manager Steve Ford, WB8IMY.

ARRL’s digital magazine editions provide replicas of the printed editions with added functionality, allowing users to fully search issues, enlarge pages, share articles, and more. All four are easily accessible through any web browser from members-only links. The free ARRL Magazines app also supports downloading complete issues for offline reading. It is available for iOS and Android in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

For more information visit www.arrl.org/arrl-magazines

From the trade magazines: On-off keying gets the job done, what you should know about RMS and communications electronic

By Leave a Comment

Here’s a smattering of links to articles in the engineering trade magazines that I thought you might find interesting….Dan

On/off keying gets the communications job done.

Written by Bob, K0NR, this is a brief review of some of the keying techniques used in communications, including Morse Code, Baudot, ASCII, and more.

 

Five things you should know about RMS.

TL;DR:

  1. RMS is a specific property of a defined segment of signal
  2. Filtering is not the same thing as averaging
  3. RMS is not always about power
  4. RMS is better than Mean in a sampled system
  5. You can’t filter successive RMS results to improve accuracy

 

How Much Do You Really Know About Communications Electronics?

As communications wends its way into virtually every electronic product, having a solid understanding of the technology becomes essential. Here are steps you can take to achieve that goal. [HINT: Getting an amateur radio license is one of them.]

Book review: A Family Affair – The R. L. Drake Story

By 3 Comments

This is a guest post by Hue Miller, K7HUE. Hue posted a version of this to the Glowbugs mailing list. Having grown up when Drake was a big name in ham radio, I enjoyed the review, and I thought that you all might be interested in it as well.

As a kid, I never had a lot of  money, but I did purchase a Drake DL-300 dummy load for $30 in the early 1980s. I often joke that it’s the only piece of Drake gear that I could afford. I still have it and it still works as well as when I purchased it……Dan

A Family Affair – The R. L. Drake Story by John Loughmiller, KB9AT,  2001. Published by Universal Radio Research, Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

I bought this book because I wanted to learn about the rise and demise of this manufacturer so important for some decades. I also learned some more about all the complications in how raw metal and components enter one door of the factory and exit another door as a fine looking, high-tech product. The book also describes some the unique characters who powered the company. Much of the book is about development of the TR-7, Drake’s final big product.

The chapters are one to four pages each, so you can easily jump in and out whenever you feel like. The book compares the various Drake receivers and revisions and has  a lot of info on repairs and some modification discussion. There’s a catalog section in back. The book is quite thick and profusely illustrated. I recommend it to all Drake enthusiasts.

As for my own personal experience with Drake gear, I resisted buying an SPR-4 when they first came out. I probably was just too cheap to buy one, and later, there were more appealing options for my money.

Good  SPR-4s still cost a fair amount, and with the difficulty now of getting new crystals to add bands now, I am now over wanting to get an SPR-4. Drake didn’t make it easy to install crystals either, as the SPR-4 band crystals all end in 9, not 0. This makes it harder to find the frequencies in surplus crystals.

There was also a time when I was interested in getting an R-7A, the receive only version of the TR-7, but after reading about the complexity of the mother board and the need to find board extenders, I have decided against buying one. I don’t need more complication in my life, and I have other equipment that does the job for me. It may not do it as well, but good enough for me.

I do have one “token Drake”. This is the shortwave listener market,  SSR-1  receiver – but this late exception to the rule was made in Japan, and sold here under the Drake name!

 The book is direct  and honest about the cause of Drake’s demise and that of the other old – name U.S. radio manufacturers, demolishing  our colloquial  explanations:

 ….it is interesting to see how much the amateur community blamed the Japanese and their cheaper radios for what happened to companies like Collins and Drake. It would have been far more accurate and honest to concede that the market shrank. The declining customer base killed amateur radio for U.S. manufacturers. The Japanese simply picked up a larger and larger share of a smaller and smaller market, because they offered radios that were perfectly adequate for most buyers.

….amateur radio wasn’t cool or hip…The kids could read the future. Not so Drake management. The executives were preoccupied with the Japanese invasion of ‘their’ turf.

The decision [ to leave radio ] probably saved R. L. Drake from bankruptcy…The entire production run of the TR-7 was about 10,300. For the TR-7A, the total was around 2,500. Peak production of the satellite receivers reached about 15,000. Not total. Per month.”

 The back of the book also has pages of photos of  ham shacks with Drake gear. Now I have to admit that I have always doubted the interest value of shack photos without any human being in them, at least for ham shacks with common equipment. If you have a photo showing a shack with an uncommon radio, say a rare HRO variant, an RCA AR-1496, maybe a Lakeshore SSB transmitter paired with a Drake 1A, or maybe a shot of a Navy radio room circa 1911, fine. Otherwise, why be shy;  show yourself with the gear you’re proud of owning;  this also sets your photo in a definite time and place.

Also I have to admit, I wonder about the continuing monetary value of all those fine Drake radios. Well, not only Drake radios, but nearly all collectibles. Hobby preferences may change over time; economics also enters into it: will more people be living smaller, in apartments or condos? Will the future of employment be less stable, requiring more frequent relocation? “How to keep the hobby healthy and growing” is something I have seen discussed with unease and perplexity in different hobby groups.

If you are interested in the history of the American radio industry, or if you are interested in the high – standard products of this company, or if  you have Drake equipment you cherish, you will find this book well worth the $30.

Operating Notes: A comment from a reader

By 5 Comments

A couple of days ago, I worked a fellow who had used my study guide to get back into ham radio. Yesterday, I got this email:

Roughly five years ago my wife and I were downsizing and decided to sell our house.  I was googling something about homes and for an unknown reason, a link was presented to me about a Technician Class PDF study guide.  I hadn’t had my license for twenty years and had no interest in ham radio until I looked at the study guide, your study guide.

At that time, I had recently lost my father to brain cancer.  His call was NZ3U and before that, he was WA3MWT.  Ham radio was a huge part of his life and mine as a youngster.  I guess I was feeling nostalgic at the time and also feeling guilty that he and I no longer shared the hobby before he passed.  When I looked over the study guide, I realized I knew most of the material.  So, I used your guide and decided to go for the exam. You know the rest of the story.  I did it to satisfy my dad’s warning to me when I let my license lapse.  He said “You’ll regret it someday” and he was right.

Shortly after I passed the exam and got my General ticket  and we moved to a location in the woods.  A perfect spot for wire antennas.  So I threw up a home made dipole, bought a IC7200 and was up and running.  The rest is history.

So in short, your study guide was solely responsible for my return to ham radio.  That’s another reason it’s always a thrill to work you.

How cool is that?

SKN with the Flex

On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, I participated for a little while in Straight Key Night (SKN). Overall, I made five contacts before my wrist gave out on me. As I was making contacts, though, it occurred to me that it was somewhat amusing to be using what is arguably the most modern radio on the market with nearly the most ancient mode.

Should I tell this guy about his signal?

One of the signals that I encountered on Straight Key Night was the signal below. This is the widest signal I’ve ever seen on the Flex panadapter. As you can see, it’s nearly 4 kHz wide, while the others are more like 100 Hz wide.

My question is, should I send the guy this screenshot? I’m thinking that if I were him, I’d want to know that perhaps something is wrong with my transmitter.

More Radio Fun?

By 1 Comment

So, I recently wrote about Radio Fun, a publication by Wayne Green, W2NSD (SK). Billed as “The beginner’s guide to the exciting world of amateur radio,” the tabloid was published for several years in the early 1990s.

It’s a decent publication, and some of the wit and wisdom contained therein is still relevant today. Wayne’s advice on ragchewing is a good example. The technology may change, but advice like this is still worth reading today.

When Steve, KB9MWR, read my first post on Radio Fun, he emailed me:

I had a hand in digitizing 73 magazine some years back.  If you ever want to part with those Radio Fun magazines, I’d be interested in buying them and also placing them in the public domain.

I sent him—without charge—the seven issues that I had: March 1992, May 1993, August 1993, October 1993, December 1993, January 1994, and April 1994. These issues are now online at archive.org.

Steve and I would like to see the whole collection online. The April 1994 issue is #32, so there must be at least 25 issues that I didn’t have. If any of you have the missing issues, please consider sending them to Steve.

How to get “plugged in” to the amateur radio community

By 3 Comments

The ICQPodcast is one resource you might want to consider to help you keep up with what’s happening in #hamradio.

This morning, I found this email in my inbox:

Thank you for your website and great content.   I passed the Tech and General tests on Saturday, and I will be taking the Extra exam in November. Your “No Nonsense” guides were very helpful.

I do have a question, though. How do I stay current on what’s happening in the ham world? For example the CQ WW SSB contest was this weekend.  How do newbies know this kind of thing?  How do we find local or regional hamfests and other events?

This is a great question. Like any special interest, it can seem daunting to get plugged in (pun intended) to the community. Here are a few of my suggestions:

Join the ARRL. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is really the place to start for information related to amateur radio. QST, the ARRL’s monthly magazine, includes news about upcoming contests and ARRL-sanctioned hamfests. It also reviews new amateur radio products and provides a wealth of technical information.

In addition to QST, the ARRL publishes many email newsletters that members can subscribe to. For example, Contest Update biweekly newsletter that not only lists upcoming contests, but also includes tips on operating contests. The ARES E-Letter is a monthly public service and emergency communications newsletters. There are also email newsletters for ham radio instructors, those interested in DX, legislative matters, and satellite operation.

Join your local club. While the ARRL will help you keep abreast of amateur radio news and events nationally and internationally, if you want to know what going on in amateur radio in your area, you should join your local club. To find clubs near you, go to http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club.

Visit the WA7BNM Contest Calendar. This contest calendar has become my go-to resource for any and all contest information. This site provides detailed information about amateur radio contests throughout the world, including their scheduled dates/times, rules summaries, log submission information and links to the official rules as published by the contest sponsors. Its features include an 8-Day calendar, a 12-Month calendar, and separate calendars for state QSO parties, CW contests, and QRP contests.

You can also get a weekly e-mail of contests taking place in an 8-day period (Monday through Monday), as well as a list of contests scheduled for the next week and a list of log submission information for recent contests. To subscribe to this service, send an e-mail to Bruce, WA7BNM.

Ham radio blogs. Blogs are also a good way to keep up with what’s going on in amateur radio. I like to think that I do a good job of covering what’s going on in amateur radio, but, of course, I can’t do it all. That being the case, you might also want read other blogs. Other amateur radio blogs that you might want to check out include:

There are a bunch of other good ones out there. Find the ones you like and subscribe to them, so that you get a notification when new items are posted.

Mailing lists. Mailing lists are kind of old school, but if  you have a special interest, chances are that there is a mailing list for it. For example, I own an Elecraft KX-3, so I subscribe to the Elecraft KX User Group mailing list. Many amateur radio mailing lists are migrating to the Groups.io. To find a list, just click on the “Find or Create a Group” link at the top of the page. I just did a search for “amateur radio” and found 910 different amateur radio mailing lists.

Podcasts and videocasts. Podcasts are also another great way to stay up with amateur radio. I’m partial to the ICQPodcast because I am on the panel once a month. The podcast not only includes a discussion of what’s new in amateur radio, but also a feature, which digs a little deeper into a particular topic. Other great podcasts are Ham Radio Workbench, and Linux in the Ham Shack. Internet video shows that are worth checking out are Ham Radio 2.0, Ham Radio Now, and Ham Nation.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you have an amateur radio information resource that you find particular helpful, please let me know. Email me or enter a comment below.

ARRL to implement yet another Wayne Green idea

By 15 Comments

I got a little bit of a chuckle when I read the article about the ARRL’s newest publication, On the Air. According to the article,

ARRL is launching a new magazine, On the Air, in January 2020. To be published on a bimonthly basis, On the Air will offer new and beginner-to-intermediate-level radio amateurs a fresh approach to exploring radio communication. Each issue will include advice and insights on topics from the variety of Amateur Radio interests and activities: radio technology, operating, equipment, project building, and emergency communication. The goal of this new magazine is to be a vital resource in helping new and newer radio amateurs get active and involved in radio communications.

The reason I chuckle is that Wayne Green, W2 Never Say Die, the curmudgeonly publisher of 73 and Byte magazines published something similar in the 1990s: Radio Fun: The beginner’s guide to the exciting world of amateur radio. Here’s the cover of the January 1994 issue:

It was printed on newsprint in tabloid format. This issue is only 32 pages—with easily half of them being ads—and is a quick read. There isn’t a lot of heavy theory, and there are a couple of DIY projects.

Of course, there’s the obligatory Wayne Green rant column. In this month’s QLF column, Wayne Green tackles the issue of restructuring amateur radio, ranting yet again that incentive licensing almost killed amateur radio.

His proposal for restructuring is that we need only one level of license, and that it should be relatively easy to get. He writes,

Remember, before you can operate on CW, you have to be able to send and receive code. Before you can get on packet you need a station, a computer, and the know-how to use ’em. We don’t need exams for things like that. So, let’s decide what we think is really important as an entry exam for the hobby and get rid of the stuff that’s a waste of time.

Who can argue with that?

Anyway, getting back to this idea of a magazine for newcomers, I’d suggest that the whoever is in charge of On the Air at the ARRL get hold of all of the back issues of Radio Fun that they can. (Unfortunately, they don’t seem to be available online…at least I wasn’t able to find them.) It will certainly make for some interesting reading, and it may even give them an idea or two.

Spotted at the UK National Hamfest

By Leave a Comment

My ICQPodcast colleagues visited the UK National Hamfest over the weekend. Lo and behold, they spotted a copy of my CW Geek’s Guide to Having Fun with Morse Code at the Kanga Products booth. (Kanga is an advertiser here on KB6NU.Com. Click on their icon at right.)

Chris, M0TCH, holding a copy of my CW Geek’s Guide at the UK National Hamfest.

Dennis, G6YBC, the proprietor of Kanga purchased a bunch of the books at Dayton last year, and has been selling them ever since. Unfortunately, he had me sign the books. My friend Ralph, AA8RK, says that defacing them like that makes them less valuable. :)

Kanga carries a number of interesting kits and components, including the Foxx3 CW transceiver. Kanga has also partnered with my friend, John, KC9ON, who is the proprietor of 3rd Planet Solar. Kanga is now offering 3rd Planet Solar kits and vice versa.

For the complete ICQPodcast on the UK National Hamfest, go to the ICQPodcast website.