Amateur Radio Links & Notes by William Eric McFadden revision 20240308-1356

Table of Contents

QRP Contests QRP Field Events Hamfests & Symposia QRP Discussion Groups & Blogs Elecraft Heathkit Ten-Tec R.L. Drake WWII Command Sets CW and Keys Yaesu FT-60R

Fox Hunting Amateur Satellite APRS & GPS Bicycling with Amateur Radio Canoeing/Kayaking with Amateur Radio Hiking with Amateur Radio WD8RIF Maps SILSO Sunspot Graph over Six Cycles Sony SWL Receivers Miscellaneous

See the Amateur Radio Links at WD8RIF for a more complete set of links.

Links to sites not related to amateur radio can be found in my Bookmarks.

Read my disclaimer.

"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat." — Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

QRP Contests (and other operating events) (return to top)

(No contests planned.)

QRP Field Events (return to top)

(See Upcoming SEORAT Events)

Hamfests & Symposia (return to top)

(no events planned)

Search for hamfests at ARRL / see Upcoming SEORAT Events

QRP Discussion Groups & Blogs (return to top)

QRP-Tech (new host)
QRP-L at QTH.Net, and the official archives
K5TR's archive of QRP-L at kkn.net, with good search engine
QRP-L at Yahoo! Groups
QRP-Lnew and archives

HF Pack and Groups.io
The Californial QRP Club at Groups.io
Four States QRP Club at Groups.io

QRPer.com, a blog by Tom Witherspoon, K4SWL
Outdoor Amateur Radio, a blog by Matt Bye, W6CSN
QRP in the Driftless, a blog by Philip Van Heurck, W9XAN
Random Ruminations, a blog by David Thompson, AG7TX
K4NYM: Radio Free Florida!, a blog by Bill Brown, K4NYM
QRP: When You Care to Send the Very Least! by W2LJ
The QRPer (no longer being updated) & Trail-Friendly Radio Extra, blogs by Richard Fisher, KI6SN
On All Bands at DX Engineeting
AA4OO's Ham Radio — QRP — "Lower Your Power and Raise Your Expectations"
S9plus by WV0H — field ops, field antennas, & KX3
N8ZYA's QRP Radio Blog
Rooster & Peanut's GoatTube with Steve, WG0AT
W1PID Outdoor Radio
W3ATB Anecdotes
KE9V's Ham Radio Blog
Bicycle Portable CWT by K9MA
Mike's Tech Blog by WB8ERJ

Novice Rig Roundup and Groups.io

TX Factor — "Amateur Radio Explored" in professionally-produced high-def

HamRadioNow.tv (new URL)
Ham Radio Workbench
Ham Radio 360

QSO Today — "Meet the Most Interesting Amateur Radio Operators"

Joshua Ellis, N5FY: Tufteln.com | YouTube
Jonathan Kayne, KM4CFT: YouTube
Charlie Brown, NJ7V: Red Summit RF (YouTube)
Jeramy Haygood, KL7EC: KL7EC Outdoors (YouTube)
Fraser Wenseth, MM0EFI: The Radio Rover (YouTube) — SOTA in the Scotland
Josh Nass, KI6NAZ: Ham Radio Crash Course (YouTube)
Mike Dahlhofer, K8MRD: K8MRD Radio Stuff (YouTube)
Junie Cassone, N1DUC: Ham and Quackers (YouTube)
Adam Kimmerly, K6ARK: website | YouTube channel
Michael Martens, KB9VBR: website | YouTube channel
Kyle Krieg, AA0Z: Youtube channel
Richard Newstead, G3CWI / SOTABeams: YouTube channel
Ben Eadie, VE6SFX: blog | YouTube channel
Colin Summer, MM0OPX: Amateur Radio Antennas and More (YouTube)
Kevin Thomas, W1DED: W1DED in Maine (YouTube)
William Parmley, KR8L: website | blog
G-QRP QRP Videos (YouTube)
W2AEW Technical Videos (YouTube)
WU2D Old Radios (YouTube)
K7AGE Ham Radio (YouTube)
KE0OG David Casler (YouTube)
Radio Prepper (YouTube)
"YL Riasa" Skrynnikova, R1BIG: QRZ.com | blog | YouTube channel
Marija Kostic, YU3AWA: QRZ.com | YouTube channel

CuriousMarc website & YouTube channel, including dives into Apollo hardware
Ken Shirriff website, including lots of Apollo tech

BFDIN Forums; with discussions and resources for club leaders

Elecraft (return to top)

Reviews in QST at ARRL (Members Only)

KX3 (December, 2012); KXPA100 / KXAT100 (September, 2014); PX3 Panadapter (January, 2017)

KX2 (May, 2017)

KX1 (April, 2004)

K3S (November, 2016)

K3/100 (January, 2009); P3 Panadapter (April, 2011)

K3 (April, 2008)

K2 & Expanded Report (March, 2000); KDSP2 (January, 2005), KPA100 (January, 2005)

K1 (March, 2001)

The Elecraft Owner Online Database

Elecraft KX3 User Group at Groups.io
Elecraft KX User Group at Groups.io
Elecraft K3 User Group at Groups.io

W8FGU.com — service for classic Elecraft kits

KX3 / KX1 and QRP Accessories by Steve Roberts, W1SFR

K2 Mods by W3FPR (new URL)
LA3ZA Unofficial Guide to Elecraft K2 Modifications
Improving the K2's CW Filter Ultimate Rejection by KO0B

Modifications for Elecraft K2 including an internal 4:1 balun

K2 Internal 4:1 Balun by M0RGB
K2 NiMH Battery & LiPo conversions by WB6ZQZ

Reliable auto-detect (straight key/paddle) for the Elecraft K2 by LA3ZA

PSK31 and an Elecraft K2 Mod (PDF) by WB4QXE

by G4ILO

Build a Headset for the Elecraft K2

Getting Started on Data Modes with the Elecraft K2

Use a Yamaha CM-500 headset on a K2:

from Elecraft mail-list: January 15, 2010 | November, 2011

Yamaha CM-500 is $45 at B&H

Elecraft K2 & K1 Links by K8ZT

K2 Quick Reference Cards:

by W3DX (HTML) at Elecraft

by NS6N (PDF) at Elecraft

by WF4I (PDF) at W3FPR

Rework Eliminator for K2, including Internal Mic Adapter

KX1 travel kits:

by AK Keller: Elecraft forum posting & photos

by K5PA

KX1 to the Field: A Tidy, Durable Carrying Case by K8EAB

'Blue K' Antenna for KX1 by N7XJ

KX1 Battery Modification (PDF) by WA3WSJ (internal Li-ion 12v battery)
KX1 Maintenance Guide (PDF) by NZ0R (new URL)

VE1DY's KX1 Canso Causeway Trip with photos of all-band antenna

Heathkit (return to top)

On Heathkit Manuals: In October, 2008, the intellectual property rights to Heathkit legacy products were purchased by Don Peterson of Data Professionals of Pleasanton and it appears Mr. Peterson has been very aggressive in stopping on-line manual downloads and sales. Downloadable Heathkit manuals are no longer available at BAMA (or at the mirror) or from other sources on the web. Data Professionals offers printed copies of some manuals but at this time none are available for any of the Amateur Radio products ever offered by Heathkit. Update: Research by Rich Post, KB8TAD, indicates Heathkit manuals from prior to 1964 remain in public-domain because the copyrights weren't renewed by Heathkit. For more information, see Rich's article Adventures in Radio Restoration: A Tale of Two Progressive Radios in the March, 2014 issue of The Spectrum Monitor. (2014-02-26)

Heathkit Manuals and Schematics at Vintage Radio Info

HW-16 at Groups.io
HW-8 at Groups.io

The Heathkit Shop by Mike Bryce, WB8VGE
RTO Electronics, specializing in the repair of Heathkit Amateur Radio equipment
Harbach Electronics — Heathkit, Drake, Collins, and Dentraon parts and upgrade kits
N0JMY's Hayseed Hamfest — Re-Cap kits

Technology Systems with photos of unbuilt kits and downloadable catalogs and manuals
The Heathkit Virtual Museum
Heathkit Message Board
Heathkit Information at Nostalgic Kits Central

Schematics for Heathkit equipment can be downloaded at Vintage Radio Information

The Benton Harbor Lunch-boxes: the Tener, Sixer, and Twoer

Thousands of these transceivers now in use across the nation, in homes, offices, cars, trucks, boats, etc., attest to their popularity and proven performance. Their neat, compact design, low cost and high versatility make them ideal for use in either mobile or fixed station installations. All feature crystal-controlled transmitters and tunable superregenerative receivers with RF preamplifiers designed for operation on the 2, 6 or 10 meter amateur bands. The highly sensitive receivers pull in signals as low as 1 microvolt and produce complete quieting on reasonable signal levels. The transmitters with up to 5-watt input are more than adequate for "local" net operations and the communication range of all models is unlimited under "skip" conditions. Other features include: a built-in RF trap on the 10 meter version to minimize TVI; frequency multipliers on the 6 & 2 meter versions to provide straight-through finals from an oscillator using a fundamental crystal in the 8 mc range; built-in final amplifier metering jack, and "press-to-talk" transmit/receive switch on the front panel with "transmit-hold" position. Kit includes a ceramic element microphone and two power cords, one for use with the built-in AC power supply and one for use with a vibrator power supply such as the Heathkit GP-11 for 6 or 12 volt mobile operation. Transfer from fixed station to mobile operation in a matter of minutes. Handsomely styled in two-tone mocha and beige. Less crystal.

HW-19, HW-29A, & HW-30 at the Heathkit Virtual Museum HW-30 "Twoer" at Richard Post's Boat Anchor Pix HW-29A "Sixer" at Richard Post's Boat Anchor Pix FT-243 crystals are available from AF4K — $12 plus shipping search eBay for FT-241 & FT-243 crystals The 6m and 2m lunch-boxes cost $44.95 in 1964 and 1967. (1964 catalog page & Nov 1967 QST ad)

Hotwater QRP: the HW-7, HW-8, and HW-9

Whether you use it for standby, camping, emergency operation, or your primary rig, the Transceiver will prove its worth. Band changing and tune-up are easily accomplished with pushbutton band selection and single-control Tuning. The light-weight and compact Transceiver has pushbutton crystal transmit provisions for the novice or QRP roundtables. Main tuning is accomplished through a 6-to-1 vernier that is virtually backlash free. A Relative Powermeter, built-in sidetone, and carry-along size make the Transceiver a pleasure to operate.

ARRL Product Reviews on ARRL's Members Only site:

HW-7 (January, 1973)

HW-8 (April, 1976)

HW-9 (July, 1985)

HFT-9 Antenna Tuner (July, 1984)

KK4KF's HW-7/8/9 Information Page
Michael Bryce's Repairing the HW-8 at The Heathkit Shop
WB6FZH's HW-8 Modifications, Repairs, & Recollections (nwe URL)
K8YTO's Index of HW-7, 8, and 9 Modifications in Excel 97 spreadsheet format (new URL)

The Freq-Mite from Small Wonder Labs is ideal for incorporation within an HW-7 or HW-8. (See notes here about installing a Freq-Mite in the HW-8.) In HW-8 Handbook, First Edition (1994), Michael Bryce recommends replacing the MPF-105 front-end in the HW-8 with a 2N4416 for a significant increase in sensitivity. He notes, "The extra pin of the 2N4416 grounds the case, and it may be done with a small hole drilled into the PC board nearby the new unit, or the ground simple (sic) may be left 'floating' with no noticeable loss in performance." (This suggestion was not included in the Second Edition of the book.) The 2N4416 is available for $2.50 each at RF Parts. The 2N4416A is available at Mouser for $2.00 each. (Note: RF Parts has a $25 minimum order; Mouser has no minimum order.)

Classic Heathkit HF Stations:

DX-40: The DX-40 is an entirely new transmitter, featuring increased power, clean keying characteristics and stability made possible by the efficient circuit design. An ideal rig for the novice who intends to operate on phone as soon as he gets his general-class ticket, yet needs a CW rig in the meantime. Experienced hams also will find the DX-40 appealing since it provides the phone and CW facilities desired in a low-power rig. The plate power input of the model DX-40 is 75 watts on CW, and peaks to 60 watts with controlled-carrier phone modulation. It covers the 80, 40, 20, 15, 11 and 10 meters with single-knob bandswitching. PIP network coupling is also featured between the buffer circuit and the final amplifier thus improving stability and attenuating the higher order harmonics, reducing the possibility of television interference. A line filter is incorporated to prevent RF radiation through the power line. The efficient oscillator and buffer circuit provides adequate drive to the 6146 amplifier from 80 to 10 meters even with an 80 meter crystal. A drive control adjustment provides excellent maximum to minimum drive requirements. A five-position function switch provides an extra "tune" position, allowing you to switch on the oscillator without the final amplifier being on, so the operator can locate his own signal on the band. Tuning the buffer stage to proper drive level before the final is on also prevents the possibility of damage to the final amplifier tube. The tube lineup features a 6CL6 Colpitts oscillator, a 6CL6 buffer, 6146 amplifier, 12AX7 dual-triode speech amplifier, 6DE7 dual-triode modulator, and a heavy-duty 5U4GB rectifier. The modulator circuitry features an audio frequency shaping network allowing a higher average output level on voice frequencies where it is required. Provision is made for three crystals. A four-position switch selects any of the three crystals or a jack for external VFO. The crystal sockets are easily accessible through a "trap door" in the back of the cabinet. An external VFO (variable frequency oscillator) can also be used to excite the transmitter for the general or advanced-class ham. Power for the VFO is available at a socket on the rear apron of the chassis. Top-quality components are used throughout. The transformers are potted types, ceramic switches are used in the final RF circuits, all coils are pre-wound, etc. The circuit features liberal shielding and careful physical placement of components and leads for stable operation. The circuit design has been extensively tested "on the air" with excellent reports, assuring you of the best possible performance. Besides being carefully designed both electrically and physically, the styling of the DX-40 is outstanding. Two large knobs on the front panel provide smooth antenna and final tuning. Between them is a switch for the easy-to-read front-panel meter with a D'Arsonval movement that indicates final grid or plate current. The function switch is at the lower left, providing selection of off, tune, standby, phone and CW. The drive control is in the center. The key jack is at the extreme left, and a pilot light is at the extreme right. Its attractive and professional appearance is in keeping with the fine operation it can provide for you in your ham shack. You can build this rig yourself and be proud to show it off to your fellow hams. Assembly instructions are complete in every respect. The manual contains complete step-by-step instructions that are tied-in closely with large pictorial diagrams, to prevent costly mistakes. Assembly proceeds smoothly from start to finish even for an individual who has never built electronic equipment before. Whether you are a newcomer or an old-timer, you will find the DX-40 a very worthwhile addition to your ham shack. Shpg. Wt. 26 lbs

DX-40 at Heathkit Museum

DX-40 at Rich Post's Boat Anchor Pix

DX-60: The DX-60 Amateur Transmitter with its many design features offers more in quality, performance, and dependability than any other unit in its price and power class! Superbly designed throughout, the DX-60 with its high quality components, clean, rugged construction and thoughtful circuit layout makes it an ideal "first" transmitter for the novice. Construction proceeds smoothly from start to finish with the complete, informative instructions furnished. All parts are easily identified and a precut, cabled wiring harness eliminates much of the tedious wiring. The completed unit with its neat, functional panel layout provides for maximum ease of operation. Circuit-wise, the DX-60 features a built-in low pass filter for harmonic suppression, neutralized final for high stability, grid block keying for excellent keying characteristics and easy access to crystal sockets on the rear chassis apron. A front panel switch selects any of four crystal positions or an external VFO. Controlled-carrier modulator and silicon diode power supply are built in. Single knob bandswitching for 80 through 10 meters and pi network output coupling provide complete operating convenience. A high-quality panel meter shows final grid or plate current to aid in tuning. In every way, the DX-60 represents an outstanding amateur "buy." May be run at reduced power for novice operation. Less crystals.

Recent Equipment: DX-60 Transmitter Kit (July, 1961 QST) by George Grammer, W1DF (PDF, ARRL Members Only — new URL)

DX-60 at Heathkit Museum

DX-60 at Rich Post's Boat Anchor Pix

DX-60 catalog page can be viewed on page 33 of the Christmas 1961 Catalog available at Technology Systems

DX-60 catalog page can be viewed on page 22 of the 1963 Catalog available at Technology Systems

Re-Cap Kits for the DX-60, DX-60A, & DX-60B are available at Hayseed Hamfest

HR-10: This handsomely-styled amateur receiver is a perfect match for the DX-60 Transmitter, providing complete high-performance station receiver facilities at low cost! The HR-10 is designed for amateur band coverage only on 80 through 10 meters, for maximum accuracy and stability. Each band is separately calibrated on a large, easy-to-read slide-rule dial. The tuning dial is illuminated and provides over 6" of bandspread for precise frequency settings. A carefully-designed diode detector, plus BFO, tunes AM or CW and SSB signals. The 7-tube superheterodyne circuit features an RF stage for added sensitivity and employs a half-lattice crystal filter for excellent selectivity characteristics...a necessity with today's crowded band conditions. Two IF amplifiers operating at 1680 kc provide good image rejection. Other features include: "S" meter to aid in tuning and determining relative strength of received signals; a 3-gang tuning capacitor to assure proper tracking of all circuits rather than "Broad Banding"; a front panel dial calibration control and provision for a plug-in 100 kc crystal calibrator to provide accurate dial calibration at any 100 kc point across the band. Other panel controls consist of: antenna trimmer, bandswitch, tuning, BFO tuning, RF gain, AF gain w/AC on-off switch, xtal. calibration on/off, STBY/RCV, BFO on/off, AVC on/off, and automatic noise limiter on/off. An accessory socket is provided on the rear chassis apron for receiver muting, etc., and a speaker jack is provided for use with any 8 ohm PM speaker. 21 lbs.

Recent Equipment: HR-10 Receiver (July, 1963 QST) by George Grammer, W1DF (PDF, ARRL Members Only)

HR-10 Receiver at Heathkit Museum

HR-10B Receiver at Rich Post's Boat Anchor Pix

HR-10 catalog page can be viewed on page 33 of the Christmas 1961 Catalog available at Technology Systems

HR-10 catalog page can be viewed on page 24 of the 1963 Catalog available at Technology Systems

Re-Cap Kits for the HR-10 & HR-10B are available at Hayseed Hamfest

Reviews at Eham indicate the HR-10/HR-10B is an extremely poor performer; a Drake 2-B with 2-BQ would be a much better choice

VF-1 VFO at Heathkit Museum

Recent Equipment: Heathkit Model HG-10 VFO (October, 1963 QST) by Edward Tilton, W1HDQ (ARRL Members Only)

HG-10 VFO at Heathkit Museum

HG-10 VFO at Rich Post's Boat Anchor Pix

Recent Equipment: Heathkit HW-16 C.W. Transceiver (January, 1968 QST) by George Grammer, W1DF (PDF, ARRL Members Only

HW-16 Novice Transceiver at rigpix.com

Re-Cap Kits for the HW-16 are available at Hayseed Hamfest

HP-23 AC Power Supply at Heathkit Museum

Rebuild an HP-23 with the HP23R (~$65) or HP23RL (~$56) by Michael Bryce or the HP-23D (~$63) by Old Heathkit Parts

Note: The HR-10 and DX-60 each feature a built-in power supply and don't need an HP-23.

FT-243 crystals are available from AF4K — $12 plus shipping

search eBay for FT-241 & FT-243 crystals

Heathkit Citizen-Band Walkie-Talkies:

The GW-31/31A "Hand-Held Transceiver" is a single-channel rig with superregenerative receiver and crystal-controlled 100mW (input) transmitter. The GW-21/21A "Deluxe Hand-Held Transceiver" is a single-channel rig with superheterodyne receiver and crystal-controlled 100mW (input) transmitter. It features a squelch circuit and external antenna and earphone jacks. The GW-21/21A is significantly larger than the GW-31/31A. Click here for schematic of the GW-21A. The GW-52A appears to be a GW-21A with internal rechargeable batteries.

WD8RIF has a pair of GW-21 transceivers and a GW-31 which he may move to ten meters. GW-21/21A: The receive crystal is 455kc higher in frequency than the transmit crystal. The GW-21 & GW-31 were designed for the NEDA #1602 carbon-zinc battery which is 9 volts and 850mAh; see Energizer No. 246. Modern, smaller, 9v alkaline batteries have approx. 625mAh capacity; see Energizer 522; a pair in parallel would have 1250mAh capacity.

Ten-Tec (return to top)

ARRL Product Reviews:

Argonaut 505 (November, 1972)

(Apparently, the ARRL never reviewed the Argonaut 509 or 515...)

Agonaut II (January, 1992)

Argonaut V Model 516 & Expanded Report (April, 2003)

Omni D (January, 1980)

Omni V (November, 1990)

Omni VI (January, 1993)

Omni VI Plus & Expanded Report (November, 1997)

Omni VII (July, 2007)

TenTecWiki

The W8KC Virtual Ten-Tec Museum

Power Mite manual in .PDF format

From The Second Coming of the Argonaut, November, 1971, CQ: Long-time readers of CQ will recall the original "SSB Argonaut" built by W6AVA for W6UOU in 1957 and sent around the world in an effort to give many DX stations an opportunity to put their country on the air with the then-new mode of s.s.b. It is fitting, therefore, that a new low-power portable s.s.b. rig under development at Ten-Tec, Inc. should also be dubbed the Argonaut... In today's highly mobile society, the need for a small, light, portable rig is rapidly increasing. Reciprocal licensing, low-cost travel trailers, popularity of camping, proliferation of summer (and winter) homes all call for personal ham gear that is easily set up and takes little space. For emergency service, stand-by equipment that can operate independently of commercial power is often a lifesaver. Low power operation (QRP) is a growing facet of Amateur radio. Thousands of hams are finding an exciting challenge in conquering distance with a few potent watts. With these applications in mind, work started several years ago to create an entirely new miniaturized transceiver that would be (1) ultra compact, (2) easy to service, (3) operable on s.s.b. and c.w., (4) usable at maximum power that can be reasonably supplied with a 12 volt lantern battery, (5) to operate on the ham bands, 80 through 10 meters and (6) to include features that make operating easy and convenient. The Argonaut fulfills these objectives.

Argonaut 509 at RigPix Database Argonaut 515 at RigPix Database Argonaut II at RigPix Database Argonaut V at RigPix Database Omni D at RigPix Database Corsair II at RigPix Database Omni VI Plus at RigPix Database

On powering older Ten-Tec 100-watt transceivers with non-OEM power supplies: Michael Bryce's Remote Power Controller (approx. $20) allows older Ten-Tec 100-watt transceivers to be powered by non-OEM power supplies or batteries while retaining functionality of the transceivers' front-panel power switch. This device was described in the September, 2007 issue of QST and is available from Michael at his Heathkit Shop. (Currently, Michael's website doesn't have a page for this device; email him for cost and availability.) Early Ten-Tec 100-watt transceivers lack SWR-foldback circuitry and rely on a fast circuit breaker in the power supply to protect the transmitter from high SWR. For use of these rigs with non-OEM power supplies or batteries, Ten-Tec recommends the use of an Airpax T11-1-20.0A-01-11C-V fast trip magnetic breaker. This device is available at Poco Sales. Price is one at $25 each, two at $12.50 each, and three at $9.25 each. Minimum order is $25. Paul Clinton, Ten-Tec Service Manager, says these are also available at marine shops — they're used in charging circuits for trolling motor batteries.

R.L. Drake (return to top)

R.L. Drake Virtual Museum (new URL)
WB4HFN's Drake Page (and repair/service)

Drake Radios User Group at Yahoo! Groups

Manuals at BAMA

WWII Command Sets (return to top)

W7EKB's Glowbugs (and directory of "Military")

Radio Boulevard

The Command Set Story by Gordon Elliot White, from November, 1964 CQ (.pdf)
The Entire ARC-5 & B29 Radios at U.S. Military Aircraft Avionics from 1939 to 1945
The ARC-5 Pages at Glowbugs (new URL)
AN/ARC-5 at Wikipedia
SCR-274-N by WA6IKJ
AN/ARC-5 Airborne Communications Systems
Command Sets at Ray Robinson's Communications Museum
Command Set Transmitter SCR-274-N at Kurrajon Radio Museum

ARC-5/BC-455 Modification Notes by Phil Salas, AD5X (.pdf)
Video: All Original ARC-5 Receiver, Dynamotor Repair, and Demonstration
Video: ARC-5 Command Receiver: parts 1, 2, 3, 4
Video: ARC-5 Command Transmitter: parts 1; 2, 3, 4, 5
N3FRQ's B-17 Aircraft ARC-5 Communication System
Photos of radios in B-17: here, here, & here
B-17 Radio Operator
B-17 Crew Requirements and Standard Operating Procedures, including Radio Operator
B-26 Radio Operator Compartment
Rich Post's ARC-5 Navy Receiver
K5MBX's WWII Military T-21/ARC-5 Transmitter
BC-696 schematic

KF6NUR's BC-224 and BC-348 Aircraft Radio Receivers (gone?)
BC-348 at Wikipedia
The Irrepressible BC-348 Receiver by WA2CBZ
Rich Post's Signal Corps BC-348Q Receiver
BC-348 FAQ (new URL)
AC7ZL's Restoring the BC-348-Q (new URL)
BC-348 by James Moorer
BC-348 at Kurrajon Radio Museum

rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors FAQ

The Wireless-Set-No19 Group (www.royalsignals.org.uk | www.megacycles.co.uk | www.kilocycles.co.uk)

Manuals are available in the "military" section of Boat Anchor Manual Archive (BAMA) ( and mirror)

Transmitters:

BC-696 (Navy T-19): 3 - 4 Mc

BC-457 (Navy T-20): 4 - 5.3 Mc

BC-458 (Navy T-21): 5.3 - 7 Mc

BC-459 (Navy T-22): 7 - 9.1 Mc

Receivers:

ARC-5/BC-453: 190 - 550 Kc

ARC-5/BC-454: 3 - 6 Mc

ARC-5/BC-455: 6 - 9.1 Mc

"Resurrecting a Command Set Transmitter" by W8KGI appears in January, 2009 QST.
"Bring That WWII Command Set Receiver Back to Life" by AD5X appears in January, 2009 QST.

The ARC-5'er — A Power Supply for the BC-453 and other Command Receivers (PDF) at jlandrigan.com
Dave Stinson's Getting Your ARC-5 Transmitter Running Without Hacking it Up (PDF) (new URL)
Dave Stinson's ARC5 Notes (PDF) at HilltopArmyRadios.com
Command Set Receivers for All Frequencies (PDF) at Glowbugs (CQ, January, 1967) (new URL)
ARC-5 Receiver Mixer-Mod (PDF) at Glowbugs (new URL)
The Command Set Roundup (PDF) at Glowbugs (new URL)
AN/ARC-5 Military manual (PDF) at Glowbugs (new URL)
Command Sets (PDF) at Glowbugs (CQ, 1957) (new uRL)
K3MXOs Guide to ARC Sets (PDF) at Glowbugs (new URL)

ARC-5 Manual (AN 16-30ARC5-2) (PDF) at HillTopArmyRadios.com
AN/ARC-5 Alignment Procedure (AN 16-30ARC5-501) (PDF) at HillTopArmyRadios.com
Command Sets (CQ Magazine book) (PDF) at HilltopArmyRadios.com
Surplus Radio Conversion Manual Volume 1 (PDF) at HilltopArmyRadios.com
Surplus Radio Conversion Manual Volume 2 (PDF) at HilltopArmyRadios.com
Surplus Radio Conversion Manual Volume 3 (PDF) at HilltopArmyRadios.com

Complete 80-Meter CW Station Using Surplus Units (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1960)
Vacation Special (PDF) at ARRL (May, 1967)
Single-Control Transmitter-Receiver (PDF) at ARRL (May, 1953)

Converting Surplus Transmitters for Novice Use (PDF) at ARRL
Keying the BC-696 (PDF) at ARRL (July, 1951)
Operating the BC-696 in TV Fringe Areas (PDF) at ARRL (December, 1953)
Crystal Control for the BC-457 and HC-459 (PDF) at ARRL (November, 1959)
Better Keying for the Converted BC-457 (PDF) at ARRL (March, 1953)
100 Watts on 160 Meters, Using a BC-458 (PDF) at ARRL (October, 1972)
"All-Band" BC-458 — A Heterodyne V.F.O. for S.S.B. (PDF) at ARRL (February, 1953)
Improved Keying for the BC-459 (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1963)
Using the BC-459 With the V.H.F. Overtone Oscillator (PDF) at ARRL (December, 1957)
Simple Heterodyne Exciter for 10 Meters (PDF) at ARRL (November, 1953)
ARC-5 Transmitter Modifications: 14-Mc Output from the BC-459-A (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
ARC-5 Transmitter Modifications: 14-Mc Output from the BC-459-A (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
ARC-5 Transmitter Modifications: Eliminating Ripple in the BC-459-A (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
ARC-5 Transmitter Modifications: NFM Added to the BC-459-A (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
ARC-5 Transmitter Modifications: Improved Keying (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
ARC-5 Transmitter Modifications: Making Use of the Tuning Eye (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
Crystal Adapter for ARC-5 Transmitters (PDF) at ARRL (December, 1952)
TVI-Proofing the ARC-5 VHF Transmitter (PDF) at ARRL (November 1950)
Deluxing the ARC-5 Transmitter (PDF) at ARRL (September, 1960)
Putting the ARC-5/T18 on 160 and 80 Meters (PDF) at ARRL (February, 1963)

Two-Band Coverage with the BC-454 (PDF) at ARRL (January, 1960)
Getting Started with the BC-454 (PDF) at ARRL (January, 1959)
80 Through 6 with the BC-454 (PDF) at ARRL (May, 1959)
Command Set Receiver for 6 and 10 (PDF) at ARRL (September, 1953)
ARC-5 and 274N (PDF) at ARRL (April, 1959)
ARC-5 Triple Superhet (PDF) at ARRL (August, 1959)
Super-Simple 80-20 Receiver (PDF) at ARRL (April, 1972)
New Life for the Q5-er (PDF) at ARRL (February, 1951)
BC-453 "Q5-er" reception (PDF) at ARRL (August, 1950)
Bandspreading the BC-455 (PDF) at ARRL (April, 1959)

BC-348 Alignment (PDF) at ARRL (July, 1959)
Note on Surplus Type BC-348 Receivers (PDF) at ARRL (September, 1957)
BC-348 Page by James Moorer, with high quality scans of manuals
Double Conversion Using the BC-348 (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1954)
Modifying Tuning Range of the BC-348 (PDF) at ARRL (January, 1952)
Curing Backlash in BC-348 Receivers (PDF) at ARRL (January, 1951)
Eliminating Back-Lash in BC-348 Receivers (PDF) at ARRL (February, 1948)
Broadcast-Band Coverage with the BC-348-Q (PDF) at ARRL (September, 1949)
"Q5-er" for BC-348 Owners, by Adding Series Padders (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
"Q5-er" for BC-348 Owners, Building a Simple Converter (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
"Q5-er" for BC-348 Owners, Modifying the Calls (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
"Q5-er" for BC-348 Owners, Converting with an External Oscillator (PDF) at ARRL (June, 1948)
Converting the BC-348-Q (PDF) at ARRL (January, 1947)
Servicing Xtal Filters in the BC-348 (PDF) at ARRL (August, 1947)
More on the BC-348-Series Receivers: Modifying the BC-348-O (PDF) at ARRL (November, 1947)
More on the BC-348-Series Receivers: Calibrating the BC-348 (PDF) at ARRL (November, 1947)
More on the BC-348-Series Receivers: Curing Noise-Limiter Troubles (PDF) at ARRL (November, 1947)
More on the BC-348-Series Receivers: A Further Note on the BC-348-Q (PDF) at ARRL (November, 1947)

CW and Keys (return to top)

Morse Magnificat: the Morse Magazine archives + the WT 8A Key Survey

Basic CW Operating Procedures
The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy by William G. Pierpont, N0HFF
TASRT: Amateur Society for Radio Telegraphy with The Art & Skill of Radio-Telegraphy course (new URL)
LB3KB's Just Learn Morse Code
W1AW Morse Code Practice Files & archive, sorted by code speed

How to use an "English Key" by WB8DQT
What are American and European "styles"?
Adjust a straight key to avoid "glass arm"

Sideswiper Net — SSN

The Vibroplex Collector's Page (new URL)
Vintage Vibroplex
Vibroplex — The Company and its Classic Key by John Ceccherelli, N2XE (PDF, ARRL Members Only)
How to Adjust a Semiautomatic Key at N6TT
How to Adjust a Bug at Vibroplex
Vibroplex Ads 1925-1965

W0EB's Dot Stabilizer for bugs

J.H. Bunnell & Co.

The Autronic Paddle at N6TT

RadioTelegraphy.net
W1TP Telegraph Museum
The Sparks Telegraph Key Review
Telegraph-History.org by W2NI
Radio Telegraphy — Straight Keys to Bugs at Western Historic Museum
The KK4DW Telegraph Key Collection (gone?)
N7CFO Telegraph Key Collecting & Telegraph Related Downloads
Stewart Johnson, Les Logan, EF Johnson, & Wm. M. Nye keys by N0UF

History of keys called "Speed-X":

1927 - Electro Manufacturing began making a key that would later be known as the Speed-X

1934 - Stuart (Stewart?) Johnson purchased Electro Manufacturing and named the key "Speed-X"

1937 - Les Logan bought Speed-X

1947 - E.F. Johnson bought Speed-X

1972 - William Nye bought E.F. Johnson

Both E.F. Johnson and Nye-Viking appear to have made Speed-X oval-base straight keys with sprung anvil.

(Information gleaned from N0UF and The Sparks Telegraph Key Timeline.)

When did the model 310 straight key appear?
According to Western Historic Radio Museum both the models 322 (rectangular base) and 310 were available from Les Logan from 1937 to 1947.
Morse Express says the model 322 has been available since 1937 and was manufactured by Les Logan, E.F. Johnson, and Wm. M. Nye.
Tom French (Artifax Books) thinks my older Speed-X is an early Wm. M. Nye piece; Logan and Johnson number-schemes were different.
N0UF identifies Speed-X HS15.682 keys as being products of the William M. Nye Company.

Military CW Keys:

J-37 & J-38 Keys by K6IX

British military WT 8-Amp keys:

The Key WT 8 AMP - Worldwide Survey by Tony Smith, G4FAI (and direct link to 16MB PDF) — gone! (see Morse Magnifat archives, above)

British military Key and Plug Assembly keys:

Key and Plug Assemblies, An Overview... by Louis Meulstee (and direct links to PDF: 19MB, for print | 6MB, for screen)

Artifax Books sells old keys and replacement knobs for old keys

2B Radio Parts — replacement bug, paddle, and key repair parts

The book "Keys IV... and More — the Finale" by K4TWJ (SK) is available in PDF format as a free download here: K4TWJ (new URL)

Yaesu FT-60R (return to top)

Source for 4-conductor jacks/plugs and extension cables: Minute Man Electronics

External power jack dimensions: 1.7mm ID, 4mm OD.

(See also Yaesu FT-60R at WD8RIF for more FT-60R links.)

Fox Hunting (return to top)

Homing In by Joe Moell, K0OV

The HANDI-Finder TDOA DF Antenna kit
Sense the Right Way to Go with the HANDI-Finder by Joe Moell, K0OV

Montreal Doppler v3.2 as recommended by N8PXW

Amateur Satellite (return to top)

AMSAT.org

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)

ISS Fan Club

SatNOGS — Satellite Networked Open Ground Station

Work an FM VHF/UHF Satellite with an HT:

AMSAT: FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for Beginning and Experienced Operators

Work-Sat.com by K6LCS; with frequently-updated "Work FM Satellites with your HT" in PDF format (new URL)

Operating SO-50 by G6LVB

How to Work Amateur Radio Satellites with Your HT by AE6LX (video)

Working the FM-Sat SO-50 by 2E0HTS

"Down-to-Earth" Satellite Communications (PDF), by N1ASA (new URL)

Videos by K7AGE: AO-51 Satellite Demo & Ham Radio AO-51 Satellite, Again

Elk Model 2M/440L5 dual-band log-periodic at Elk Antennas; no duplexer needed for use with dual-band HT (new URL)
Arrow II Satellite Antenna at ArrowAntennas.com (new URL); duplexer model needed for use with dual-band HT

For Beginners at AMSAT
Amateur Satellite Articles at EB4DKA (gone?)

The "IOio" Antenna (PDF) (new URL)
The "CJU" ANtenna / The Magic Antenna (PDF) (new URL)
The Arrow Antenna and the Satellites (PDF) (new URL)
Build an Arrow Antenna Look-Alike by G6LVB

Orbitron satellite tracking software

Visible Satellite Flybys at SpaceWeather.com

KG4AKV's SpaceComms blog

APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) and GPS (Global Positioning System) (return to top)

APRSdroid — APRS for Android

Southeast Ohio APRS Development by W8KVK

FindU.com

mobile: WD8RIF & with timestamps

home QTH: WD8RIF-1 & with timestamps

check APRS messages on-line: http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/msg.cgi?WD8RIF-1; change callsign and SSID as needed

internet-to-APRS text messaging: http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/entermsg.cgi

      (APRS station must be on the air and in range of I-Gate; full callsign and SSID required)

Google APRS Maps with zoom and scroll

mobile: WD8RIF

home qth: WD8RIF-1

APRS World APRS database and information

TinyTrak at Groups.io

Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning, with launch announcements

About GPS at Garmin
GPSInformation.net by Joe Yeazel N4TEB, Jo Mehaffey W2JO, & Dale DePriest

APRS.org by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR
APRS/GPS at TAPR.org

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) at ARRL
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) at ARRL (QEX Sidebar)
Position Reporting with APRS at ARRL

UI-View32 APRS client for Windows (and registration)

Convert Lat/Long between various formats

Bicycle-Mobile APRS

(See Bicycle Combined With Amateur Radio within this document for more on use of radio on bicycles.)

WD8RIF and the ACARA provide APRS support to the Athens (Ohio) Marathon
ACARA Marathon Communications Planning Page
a thread at BMHA about bicycle-mobile APRS

WD8RIF bicycle-mobile APRS configuration:

DeLorme Serial Earthmate => Byonics GST-1 => Byonics TinyTrak3 => Icom IC-2AT

TinyTrak3 GPS Encoder for APRS by Byonics

rig-specific cables from Byonics

TinyTrak3-to-radio wiring diagrams

TinyTrak3 in QST in PDF format

KD5OM's Building and Configuring the TinyTrak3 in PDF format

KD5OM's Configuration Connector for the TinyTrak3

external power for the serial Earthmate (5-6vdc to pin 9; ground is pin 5)

external power for Earthmate and GST-1 at Byonics

TinyTrak at Yahoo!Groups (and sign in)

Shorting J7 in TinyTrak3 will provide power to GST-1 through pin 4 of the serial port.

TinyTrak3 draws approximately 6.6mA plus 3mA for each lit LED at 12v; GST-1 draws approximately 8.5mA.

Aeronautical-Mobile APRS

APRS forum at VansAirForce.net

Bicycling with Amateur Radio (return to top)

(See Bicycling & Canoe Links for more links about bicycling.)

Bicycle Mobile Hams of America site & Yahoo! Club
GOBAHams.org (and alternate URL)

How to Wire a Bike for Ham Radio (PDF), by Bill Sharp, W8HI
Bicycle-Mobile Antennas at ARRL
The Jurassic Duck — a 2m J-Pole antenna inside PVC, by WX2NJ
2m J-Pole by AA1EP
2m J-Poles by N6VNG
Bike 'n Hike Special antenna described by WB8ERJ (new URL)
The Perfect HF Bicycle Mobile Antenna by Bonnie Crystal, KQ6XA on the HFPack Yahoo! Group (logon required)

Steven K. Roberts, N4RVE:

Nomadic Research Labs

Computerized Recumbent Bike Adventure

Winnebiko & BEHEMOTH Specs

Microship Wordplay and kayak Bubba

Shacktopus — BEHEMOTH in a pack, only more so

G4AKC: HF Bicycle & Pedestrian Mobile (& on QRZ.com)
K2 Bicycle Mobile by N8MX
QRP Plus Bicycle Mobile & K2 Bicycle Mobile by VE3JC (new URLs)
CW Bicycle Mobile by KB8U
HF Bicycle Mobile by N0LX, with FT-817 (new URL)
SGC-2020 Bicycle Mobile by NW7DX
SGC-2020 Bicycle Mobile by GØSBW
Bicycle Mobile by AF8X (2m FM and HF)
Bicycle Mobile, from a Beginner's Point of View by KD7S (20m CW)
Bicycle Camping Adventure and pictorial by AC6XK (HF CW)
W9XS Bicycle Mobile by Ron Baran — 100-watt HF CW & SSB (and alternate URL)

Bicycle Mobile by K4MBE (2m FM)
2m & CB Bicycle Mobile by VO1MDS
An article on 2m FM bicycle mobile by AA6WK
Riding the Airwaves, bicycle mobile by KE4WMF (2m FM)
Mountain-Bike Mobile by N7QJP (2m/70cm FM)
This is KS1G Bicycle Mobile (2m/70cm FM + HF) (PDF)

According to W8HI (link), a half-wave antenna wants to see feedline that's an odd multiple of 1/4λ long. Three 1/4λ is about 57" at 2m. Larson sells GBR-1 in this length with NMO on one end and BNC on the other.

Canoeing / Kayaking with Amateur Radio (return to top)

(See Bicycling & Canoe Links for more links about canoeing and kayaking.)

Canoe-portable QRP, German-style
Guide to Canoe/Kayak-mobile QRP by AE3C (gone?)
Rowboat HF Mobile by N0LX

(See also the sites by Steven Roberts, N4RVE, above.)

Hiking with Amateur Radio (return to top)

Diana Eng, KC2UHB: How to Set Up an HF Portable Radio While Hiking by KI6SN
High-Flying with the Bottle Bag Antenna Launcher by KI6SN

WD8RIF Two-Way QRP Worked All States (return to top)

50th state worked two-way QRP November 30, 2011; final QSL cards received January 19, 2012. (map generated at Douwe Osinga)

WD8RIF QRP ARRL Centennial Worked All States (return to top)

Celebrating 100 years of the American Radio Relay League (link). Have worked W1AW/x in 50 states plus DC, GU, PR, & VI using CW and output power of five watts or less. Worked first state (OK) on January 26, 2014. Worked final state (DE) on November 27, 2014. View the map by band. Registered with ARRL Logbook of the World (LoTW) on November 28, 2014. Received postcard with password from LoTW on December 5, 2014. Received email with password from LoTW on December 8, 2014. Successfully installed security certificate on notebook PC on December 8, 2014. Entered-by-hand all W1AW/x QSOs within TQSL and uploaded to LoTW on December 8, 2014. Verified W1AW/x WAS CW achieved using LoTW on December 9, 2014. Sign-up for W1AW/x paper QSL cards opened March 25, 2015, here. WD8RIF signed up on March 26, 2015. The window for application for W1AW/WAS Award opened March 25, 2015: application. W1AW/WAS Award Certificate applied for May 20, 2015. (map generated at Douwe Osinga)

WD8RIF QRP National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) Worked All States (return to top)

ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) (link): Celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service throughout 2016. Will not be able to apply for an ARRL Worked All States or QRP ARCI QRP All States certificates because QSOs were not all made within a 50-mile circle. (map generated at Douwe Osinga)

WD8RIF QRP Parks on the Air (POTA) Worked All States (return to top)

Parks on the Air (POTA) (link): promoting emergency awareness and communications from national/federal and state/provincial level parks Award earned on February 15, 2023 for forty-nine states plus District of Columbia. Fiftieth state, North Dakota, worked on May 3, 2023 and confirmed on May 4, 2023. (map generated at Douwe Osinga)

WD8RIF QRP Parks on the Air (POTA) U.S. States Activated (return to top)

Parks on the Air (POTA) (link): promoting emergency awareness and communications from national/federal and state/provincial level parks I will almost certainly never reach all fifty states activated. (map generated at Douwe Osinga)

WD8RIF Parks on the Air (POTA) Units Activated (return to top)

SILSO Sunspot Map over Six Cycles (return to top)

The following graph from SILSO (Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations) shows why WD8RIF had so much fun working DX on the Novice bands in 1978 through the early 1980s (Cycle 21) and why working QRP DX was so challenging during the peak of the most recent cycle, Cycle 24. This graph also clearly shows the legendary Cycle 19 which peaked around 1957. Click the graph to view the continually-updated version at SILSO.

Sony SWL Receivers (return to top)

Jay Allen's Sony ICF-5100 Earth Orbiter

Sony ICF-5900W

Stephan Großklaß's Sony 7600 Series Page

Miscellaneous (return to top)

Generate an azimuthal map: NS6T's Azimuthal Map

Feedline Loss Calculator at OwenDuffy.net
Feedline Loss Calculator at KV5R.com

ARRL RF Exposure Calculator

Contest Calendar by WA7BNM
State & Province QSO Party Calendar by N5NA

Tamitha Skov: Space Weather Woman & YouTube Channel — solar weather video reports

Gatti-Hallicrafters 1947-1948 Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon as told by W6PBV, W0LHS, & PA0ABM

Dashtoons & Art for Shacks by Jeff Murray, K1NSS
Ham Hijinks — Ham Radio News of the Funny Variety

Ham Radio History — A Century of Amateur Radio, by Chris Codella, W2PA

Short-Wave.info — a searchable AM/FM/SW broadcast database

Bunker of DOOM — Information for Retro-Tech Hobbyists and Hardware Hackers; with printable safety signs

Dimension4 — synchronize Windows clock to time-standard servers

RigReference.com, "Reference Guide for Ham Radio Equipment"

Hackaday

VE3EN's SolarHam (formerly SolarCycle24.com)
WA7UZO's Near-Real-Time HF Radio Propagation Data with a good introduction to what the data means
Introduction to HF Radio Propagation (PDF) at Australian Government IPS Radio and Space Services

Why Ham Radio Endures in a World of Tweets by David Rowan

Sherwood Engineering

Receiver Test Data in tabular format

Roofing Filter, Transmitted B/W, Receiver Performance (video)

Online Great Circle Map Generator by NA3T and NV3Z

QRPSpots.com

Announced DX Operations by NG3K
Active DX, by Date at Radioham.info
DXScape; spots can be filtered to just those from US hams and by band
DX Summit; click "Custom Spots" to find QRP DX
DXWatch.com

Articles by W4RNL (SK) at Antentop
K5IJB: Antenna Topics, including articles by W4RNL (SK)

Moxon Antenna Project

military masts:

(See June, 2011 QST for "A One Person, Safe, Portable, and Easy to Erect Antenna Mast" by Bob Dixon, W8ERD)

sixteen mast sections needed for W8ERD mast; six may be fiberglass

The Mast Company — military mast sections & guy rings; appears to have the same mast sections I already have

Barans Military Surplus and Radio offering tripod-base adapter — new URL

Bayway Deals — guy rings, etc...

Make-Your-Own Portable End-Fed Wire Antenna on a Spool, as discussed on QRP-L:

(The original QRP-L postings describing this are gone.)

a look at a commercial version at DWM

a dipole version is described (with photos) here, by AA2VK

a variation here on eHams

KD1JV's matched end-fed half-wave, with photos (at archive.org)

Ultra-light Antennas Based on a Panfish Pole by Bruce Grubbs, N7CEE
WA3WSJ Black Widow Vertical Antenna 20m, 30m, & 40m without a tuner

MiniBac antenna (Minimalist Backpacker Antenna System) by KQ6XA

Joe Everhart, N2CX, has had good luck using a Black-Widow supported 40m end-fed half-wave wire with counterpoise for QRP NVIS work. See January, 2000, QRP Quarterly

Portable Antennas by N0LX:

20' Toroid 20-30-40m with switchable band taps

shortened 20' half-wave vertical with toroidal loading coils

end-fed inverted-v for 17-20-30-40m

Dollar Store Special Antenna by WB3GCK

The HyLaunch, Build a Compact, Integrated Antenna Launching System by Bill Jones, KD7S
Antenna Launching for Serious Practitioners by Russ Carpenter, AA7QU

B&W Window/Balcony Portable Antenna, instructions: AP-10A | AP-10B

NVIS Ionospheric Map — US (and tinyURL version)
75/60/40m NVIS Portable Antenna by W4CNG

55' Irrigation Pipe Push-Up Mast by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR (new URL)

Build a Tiger Tail Counterpoise by W1CAR (gone?)

VHF/UHF J-Pole:

2 Meter Half-Wave J-Pole Antenna from 450 Ohm Ladder Line (PDF)

The DBJ-2: A Portable VHF-UHF Roll-Up J-Pole Antenna (& correction) by Edison Fong, WB6IQN (PDF; ARRL Members Only)

An Easy Dual-Band VHF/UHF Antenna by Jim Reyante, KD6GLF (PDF)

A Backpacker's Delight — The Folding J-Pole (& correction) by Michael Heiler, KA0ZLG (PDF; ARRL QST Archives)

Build a Weatherproof PVC J-Pole Antenna by Dennis Blanchard, K1YPP (PDF; ARRL Members Only)

Tuning a Wire J-Pole Antenna (PDF; ARRL Members Only)

N7VE SWR Indicator

A Bright Idea for Wrestling With SWR in the Field by Richard Fisher, about the N7VE SWR Indicator

The N7VE SWR Indicator/Bridge kit at Hendricks QRP Kits

The Museum of Radio & Technology in Huntington, WVa
K2TQN's Old Radio and Radio History Website with QST Column additional items
The Xtal Set Society

CAT Repeater Controllers

Amateur Radio Today video with Walter Cronkite (for purchase or 70MB download) at ARRL
Voice of Victory (1944): Part I | Part II at Internet Archive

Boat-Anchor Nightlight (PDF) by AD5X

LED Station Lights:

LEDs for Low Power Station Lighting Ideas by KB1DIG and KB1GTR

LED Circuit Tutorial

LED Current Limiting Resistor Calculator by Jani 'Japala' Pönkkö

(Look in Fall 2004 "QRP Quarterly" for more ideas on LEDlights.)

Anderson Powerpoles:

Correctly Install PowerPoles at West Mountain Radio

Anderson Powerpole Ideas by KB1DIG & KB1GTR

Powerpole Instructions by WB3W

West Mountain Radio — Powerpoles, crimp tools, and accessories

PowerWerx.com — Powerpoles, crimp tools, and accessories

Powerpole Polarity Tester by WB3GCK

More Fun with Powerpoles (PDF) by VE3FFK

Surface Mount Powerpole Connectors (PDF) by AD5X

Compact Voltage Conditioner/Fuse Assembly for 100-watt Transceivers (PDF) by AD5X

Powerpole Chassis Mount and Distribution Boards (zip) by W1GHZ

Emergency Power:

"Practical Battery Back-Up for Amateur Radio Stations" by George Thurston III, W4MLE: March, April, May 1990 QST

      Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (PDF, ARRL Members Only)

"Emergency Power at W1ZR" by Joel Hallas, W1ZR: December, 2003 QST pp. 41-44 (PDF Members Only)

"Emergency Power at W1ZR" by Joel Hallas, W1ZR, Technical Correspondance: February, 2004 QST p. 82 (PDF Members Only)

Battery University & Batteries in a Portable World by Cadex Electronics, Inc.
Batteries & QRP by AE5X (click "QRP" menu item)
The Care and Feeding of Gel Cell Batteries by WB3GCK
Battery Care (PDF) at EMRG
12-volt Battery Case with Powerpoles (PDF) by VE3UNW

LED Voltage Monitor (zip) by W1GHZ

kits are available from WA3IAC;

cost is $15.95 each plus s/h of $2.00 for the first kit, $0.50 for each additional kit, First Class mail.

A Long Haul H-T Battery System (PDF) by Thurman Smithey, N6QX, at ARRL Archives

Note: Figure 2, Voltage Regulator circuit, has incorrect pin-out shown for LM317T

correct pin-out for TO-220 package is 1-Adjust, 2-Output, 3-Input

LM317T datasheets are available here

Powering Ham Gear with USB-C Power Delivery power banks by Gwen Patton, NG3P

Improved 9.6V Compact Fast Charger (PDF) by AD5X
Simple In-Line Current/Voltage Monitoring Fixture (PDF) by AD5X

BatteriesAmerica.com (and batteries for Icom & Yaesu)
NiCD Lady

Notes on AA cells:

Zinc-Carbon AA cells are nominally 1.5v at 400mAh to 900mAh.

Alkaline AA cells are nominally 1.5v at 1700mAh to 3000mAh; high internal resistance causes capacity to drop as load current increases.

Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) are nominally 1.2v 700mAh to 1100mAh.

Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) are nominally 1.2v 1650mAh to 2700mAh.

NiMH cells self-discharge in about 15 days; NiCD cells self-discharge in 30 to 60 days. (source)

Panasonic Oxyride AA cells:

1.7v initial voltage

2x to 3x longer battery life than with alkalines in high-current use

cost is comparable to alkaline

Looks very good for HTs and power-packs for portable HF

Oxyride at wikipedia

Can a New Disposable Battery Change Your Life? Parts of It, Maybe. at NY Times

New Consumer Primary Battery Chemistry Introduced After a 40-Year Dryspell

Panasonic Oxyride Editorial Review — The Revolution in Battery Power at techlore.com

Quantaray Super Z by PowerGenix (Nickel-Zinc):

1.6v, 2000mAh

PowerGenix

Nickel-Zinc Rechargeable Batteries Make Their Debut

Quantaray Super Z Rechargeable Battery Features PowerGenix Technology

AE5X — Dipole DXing — look for battery information under "QRP" pull-down

N1HFX 100kHz (or 50kHz) Crystal Calibrator: HTML & PDF formats

design uses 8MHz HC49U microprocessor crystal: $0.40 each at Mouser

Hand Soldering and the Impact of the RoHS Directive (PDF) (new URL)

Repair of RoHS Equipment at Hardware Secrets

recommends use of "99C alloy" (99.7% tin, 0.3% copper) solder

Cabbage Cases

Foam is available in 0.5", 1", 1.5", 2", 3", and 4" thicknesses.
Prices vary between $0.50/ft² for 0.5" to $4.15/ft² for 4" thicknesses.
Sales: Michael Hannah (email)
Business hours: 8:30-4:30 Mon-Fri

Pelican Cases
Pelican Case Outlet
Midwest Case Company — Columbus, Ohio dealer for Pelican

S3 Cases

Aviation Headsets:

General Aviation: microphone ~150ohms; headphone 150Ω to 600Ω (source: 1 | 2)

Military Aviation: microphone and headphones 8Ω to 20Ω (source)

Use David Clark military headset in general aviation:

Sporty's Pilot Shop Impedance Adaptors U174 to General Aviation #3966A ($85)

#40880G-01 Headset Adapter (~ $134), or

M-1/DC Amplified Dynamic Mic (~ $78), or

M-7A Amplified Electret Mic (~ $78)

Make an adapter for David Clark headset: sockets for PJ-068, PJ-055, & U-174/U plugs (PJ-068 is 0.206"; PJ-055 is 0.250")

Part numbers for panel-mount socket for U-174/U four-conductor jack: M9177/4-1, JB-11F-PM, TJT-102; $16.95 here

K5ALQ's circuit to interface a civil-aviation headset to amateur transceiver can be found in December, 2003 QST, page 57

K0IZ's circuit to interface a civil-aviation headset to amateur transceiver can be found in April, 2010 QST, page 65

My headset is a David Clark H10-76 military headset:

description

parts list

specifications

M-87 dynamic microphone impedence 5Ω +/- 20%

M-87 dynamic microphone sensitivity 0.05-0.11 mV

M-87 dynamic microphone will not operate when a DC bias voltage is applied

headphone impedence 10Ω (19Ω each, wired in parallel)

The World's Best Hobby, an online book by Dave Bell, W6AQ

RadioShackCatalogs.com, an archive of Radio Shack catalogs

Ham Radio Magazine at Archive.org — complete issues, February 1968 through June 1990, in PDF and other formats
Ham Radio Horizons Magazina at Archive.org — complete issues, March 1977 (1st issue) through December 1979, in PDF and other formats
73 Magazine at Archives.org — complete issues, October 1960 through September 2003, in PDF and other formats

NorCal QRP Club "QRPp" magazine archive (gone?)
New England QRP Club "72" magazine archive

AmericanRadioHistory.com — archives of magazines and periodicals
The Carl & Jerry Stories from Popular Electronics
Popular Science, an archive of 140 years of Popular Science magazine

AmericanRadioHistory.com — 5,000,000 pages of AM, FM, & TV Broadcast History

Radio News Magazine

WHB Swing Magazine — cool pin-up covers

Radio at War

Hugo Gernsback Publications

Ham Radio Boys Adventure Books by Gerald Breckenridge (author's works at Gutenberg)

The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys on Secret Service Duty (1922); free KIndle

The Radio Boys with the Revenue Guards (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys Search for the Inca’s Treasure (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys Rescue the Lost Alaska Expedition (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys in Darkest Africa (1923)

The Radio Boys Seek the Lost Atlantis (1923)

The Radio Boys with the Border Patrol (1924)

The Radio Boys as Soldiers of Fortune (1925)

The Radio Boys with the Air Patrol (1931)

Ham Radio Boys Adventure Books by Allen Chapman (author's works at Gutenberg

The Radio Boys First Wireless (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys at Ocean Point (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys at the Sending Station (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys at Mountain Pass (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys Trailing a Voice (1922); free Kindle

The Radio Boys with the Forest Rangers (1923)

The Radio Boys with the Iceberg Patrol (1924)

The Radio Boys with the Flood Fighters (1925)

The Radio Boys on Signal Island (1926)

The Radio Boys in Golden Valley (1927)

The Radio Boys Aiding the Snow Bound (1928)

The Radio Boys on the Pacific (1929)

The Radio Boys to the Rescue (1930)

Ham Radio Boys Adventure books by J.W. Duffield

The Radio Boys in the Thousand Islands; free Kindle

Ham Radio Boys Adventure books by Wayne Whipple & Samuel Francis Aaron (W. Whipple at Gutenberg | S.F. Aaron at Gutenberg)

Radio Boys Cronies, or Bill Brown's Radio; free Kindle

Radio Boys Loyalty; Bill Brown Listens In; free Kindle

Radio-Adventure Books by Walker A. Tompkins, K6ATX (SK):

SOS at Midnight (1957)

CQ Ghost Ship (1960)

DX Brings Danger (1962)

Grand Canyon QSO (1985)

Death Valley QTH (1986)

Murder by QRM (1988)

Radio-Adventure Books by Cynthia Wall, KA7ITT:

Night Signals (1989)

Hostage in the Woods (1990)

Fire watch (1993)

Easy Target (1994)

Disappearing Act (1996)

A Spark to the Past (1998)

Archie's Ham Radio Adventure (1986)

The Adventures of Zach and Max (ICOM)

Vol. 1 + coloring book (2002)

Vol. 2 + coloring book (2003)

Vol. 3 + coloring book (2005)

Vol. 4 + coloring book (2006)

Vol. 5 + coloring book (2007)

Vol. 6 + coloring book (2008)

Vol. 7 + coloring book (2011)

Calendar Art

Callbook Archive by KB9MWR

WD8RIF first appears as a Novice in the Winter 1979 edition.

WD8RIF first appears as a Technician in the Winter 1983 edition.

WD8RIF first appears as a General in the Winter 1984 edition.

WD8RIF first appears as a Advanced in the Winter 1988 edition.

WD8RIF first appears as an Extra in the Winter 1991 edition.

This is a collection of links that I have found useful or interesting, either professionally or personally. It is maintained for my own use, and is subject to change at any time. No claims are made to completeness, accuracy, or competence. No endorsement of any site, individual, product, or corporation is intended. With these caveats, anyone is welcome to browse these links or to use this page.

Heathkit Lunch-Box paragraph found at the Heathkit Virtual Museum.
Inside-view photographs of Heathkit Lunch-Box found at the Heathkit Virtual Museum.
Photo of HW-7 chassis from manual; scan found at Boat Anchor Manual Archive.
Paragraph about HW-7 from Heathkit manual.
Paragraphs about and photo of DX-40 found at the Heathkit Virtual Museum.
Paragraphs about and photo of DX-60 found at the Heathkit Virtual Museum.
Paragraphs about and photo of HR-10 found at the Heathkit Virtual Museum.
Heathkit walkie-talkie catalog page found within Heathkit 1961 catalog scan found at Technology Systems.
Heathkit walkie-talkie catalog page found within Heathkit 1963 catalog scan found at Technology Systems.
1979 Ten-Tec Omni D advertisement found at RigPix.com.
Ten-Tec Omni D Series C advertisement found at TenTecWikie.
Photo of Drake 4-Line found at R.L. Drake Virtual Museum.
Photos of B-17 radio installations found at www.b17queenofthesky.com.
"There's a real thrill" cartoon by Phil Gildersleeve found in the January, 1950 issue of QST magazine.
SILSO Sunspot Graph courtesy of SILSO, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels.
Elecraft, Heathkit, Ten-Tec, R.L. Drake, Nye Viking, Vibroplex, AMSAT, and ARISS logos copyrights are held by the respective companies/organizations; no endorsement by these entities is implied.