LiOTA: Libraries On The Air

LiOTA: Libraries On The Air

As readers of my blog have likely observed, I’ve been promoting a “served agency” partnership between the ARRL-affiliated clubs and local public libraries. I’m told by my Division Director, David K5UZ, that the Plant the Seed, Sow the Future Initiative was formally adopted by the ARRL Board of Directors in a recent meeting. I’ve had virtual meetings with ARRL HQ staff on advising them regarding technical details of adding maps, databases, and other material to the arrl.org website pages pertaining to clubs. The entire website was recently revised (again) so this is taking some time. Need I say, LoTW?

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PRESENTER OPINION : A Short History of Radio News Receivers in Function Plans 1929-1983

PRESENTER OPINION : A Short History of Radio News Receivers in Function Plans 1929-1983

When Wolf-Dieter Roth (DL2MCD) first approached me to review this English translation of a classic German reference book, I wasn’t sure how I would do that as I am not a book reviewer, but rather an editor.

This also being a translation, I was afraid that I would spend my time correcting the text rather than enjoying the content. While there are some „unique“ translations, in general, the translation is good but what surprised me when I got a copy to read was that it was not what I was expecting.

This is not a normal textbook with different people‘s opinions of how good or bad a radio was or how it worked. It is more a technical reference that while indeed it explains how certain radio models worked and the progression of the technologies used over the years between 1929 and 1983, it does this mainly through technical block diagrams of the different radios.

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PRESENTER OPINION: How to put up a fiberglass pole antenna mast

PRESENTER OPINION: How to put up a fiberglass pole antenna mast

I recently purchased a 10-meter Spiderbeam fiberglass pole for use on POTA activations. Last week, I set it up for the first time.

The first problem I faced was finding a place to set it up. I had some idea of how to do this because a couple of years ago I went out with Thom, W8TAM, who has one of these poles. What we did then was to lash it to a post.

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