Category: Radio

My ARRL Handbook Collection

For nearly a century, we have all read and learned a lot from the ARRL Handbook for radio communications. How many have you owned? Read more

I often write about wonderful shortwave receivers. So, it is only fair to recall my first truly terrible radio receiver from 1965. Read more

What is the SWL best time of day for listening to your radio? There is no complete answer, but here are some clues. Read more

We need a journal to curate technical ideas – good ones – for ham radio hobbyists. Does QST magazine still meet that mission? Read more

Ionospheric D Layer absorption attenuates radio signals, mainly below 10 MHz. Here is how it is caused and when. Read more

You have probably heard people talk about ionosphere virtual height. What is it and why is it important for HF propagation? Read more

I have been reading QST magazine for more than fifty years, since I was first licensed in 1967. How has it changed over time, and why? Read more

So, how exactly do oblique radio rays bend as they transit the ionosphere and return to earth? Let’s find out. Read more

Radio wave refraction depends on density of free electrons and frequency. Skip distance is tied to refractive index and height. Read more

Let’s understand radio waves, and how they behave is different media including solid wire, free space and plasma. Read more