June 2008
Articles from the
June 2008
issue
of CQ posted on our
website include:
The June issue of CQ opens with the latest in our ongoing series of "CQ Interviews." This month, contributor David Greer, N4KZ, chats with John Townsend, W3PRB. John's career in electronics and physics began at the Naval Research Laboratories after World War II and took him to NASA, where he rose to become Deputy Director of the Goddard Space Flight Center; to NOAA, where he was the agency's first Associate Administrator, into private industry and then back to NASA after the Challenger explosion, where he helped lead America's return to space. He then went back to Goddard, where he served as Director until his final retirement in 1990.
We've also got the results of last year's CQ DX Marathon, with more than double the number of logs submitted than for 2006! Pete, N0FW, once again took the Unlimited Class honors, working 295 countries in all 40 CQ zones. Formula Class winner UY0MM wasn't far behind, working 249 countries in all 40 zones. On the topic of competitions, this issue also has the rules for the 2008 CQ World Wide VHF Contest, coming up on the weekend of July 19-20.
CQWW VHF Contest Director John Lindholm, W1XX, offers an article this month on a different topic -- a primer from his own experience on getting your town fathers to smile on your antenna tower application. Along similar lines, Ed Richmond, W4YO, describes how he managed to work around antenna restrictions and get himself onto 50 MHz after many years, in "Six Meters at Last…"
The June issue also introduces a new regular cartoon feature, "Such a Ham," by Richard Parsons, VE2WGH. The cartoon features Stan (he's "such a ham") and his family and friends.
Finally among our features this month, with the Radio Society of Great Britain having moved to new offices in March and sending its station and museum to the National Codes and Ciphers Centre at Bletchley Park, we offer a report on a farewell visit to Lambda House, RSGB's old headquarters, by Julio César Garcia Mahillo, EB1BSV.
Among this month's columns, Math's Notes editor Irwin Math, WA2NDM, looks at "Simple Digital Data Transmission Modes," while Digital Editor Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, looks at the various digital modes that are popular today in "The Digital Playground."
"World of Ideas" columnist Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, begins his annual look at unique code keys; "Washington Readout" editor Fred Maia, W5YI, offers a tutorial on RF safety regulations as they apply to hams; our "Public Service" column takes a look at SATERN - the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network - on its 20th anniversary; and Beginner's Editor Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, presents a primer on outdoor operating for those planning to get on the air from "out there" this year for Field Day (June 28-29).
In June's "The Weekender" column, Phil Salas, AD5X, finishes up his two-part tutorial on building your own air-wound coils; QRP Editor Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, looks at "three little rigs," that are currently popular among low-power enthusiasts; and "What's New" editor Anthony Luscre, K8ZT, introduces some new vertical antennas from DX Engineering, plug-in filters for the Elecraft K3 from International Radio, and more.
"VHF Plus" editor Joe Lynch, N6CL, writes about VHF/UHF contesting as the summer VHF contest season gets into gear, and Contesting Editor John Dorr, K1AR, looks back at "The Old Days of Contesting," before such things as packet spotting and computer logging came on the scene. Awards Editor Ted Melinosky, K1BV, goes over some details of county-hunting record-keeping, while DX Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, reports on upcoming DX operations and the retirement of W3HC as a QSL manager. Mac has helped handle QSLing tasks for countless DX stations for nearly as many years! Finally, Propagation Editor Tomas Hood, NW7US, looks ahead at likely propagation prospects for this year's Field Day, but mostly advises that you carefully observe conditions on June 1 and 2, which will be one 27-day solar rotation cycle before the Field Day weekend. Conditions on the two weekends will likely be similar.
That's a brief look at what's coming up in the June issue of CQ magazine, which should be on newsstands and in subscribers' mailboxes by late May. For information on becoming a CQ subscriber, click the "Click Here to Subscribe" button at the top of this page.
Half Empty or Half Full?
On The Cover
James Wiedemeier, KI4PSQ, of
Nashville, Tennessee, operates Field Day with the Nashville Amateur Radio
Club.