RadCom February 2015, Vol. 91, No. 2
THIS EDITION IS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE ONLINE
We apologise for any disappointment
This edition is currently being converted to our HTML5 online viewer, which will bring enhanced readability, download speed and picture quality
News and Reports
6 RSGB Matters
News on the 2015 Band Plan, a new RSGB Director, RadCom online, ex-RadCom Technical Editor and RSGB Awards Manager go SK, new RSGB UK Events Planner online, QSL Matters, New Joiners, Rejoiners and Congratulations
11 News
All the amateur radio news
12 New Products
Exciting new products we’ve heard about this month
16 Honour Roll
The RSGB salutes all Members who have been with the Society for 50 years or more
36 Band Plan 2015
The latest, fully-updated Band Plan from 156kHz to 250GHz, including the new 146MHz band and other changes
84 Around Your Region
Club news and planned events around the country
Read this edition online
You will need your RSGB Membership Services login, follow the link below or click the cover image to your right.
Features
14 SOTA cover story
Gerald Davidson, MW0WML describes discovering the Summits on the Air programme and how it spurred him to obtain his Foundation, Intermediate and then Full licence—and become a Mountain Goat
24 Getting Started In… Contesting
There is an in-born human trait to compete, writes Don Beattie, G3BJ, and amateur radio contesting can build strong bonds and camaraderie—learn how to join in and excel at this competitive aspect of amateur radio
83 British Science Week
Heather Parsons shares inspirational stories from previous events and asks if you’re getting involved this March
Reviews
31 CS-7000 UHF DMR handheld
Mike Richards, G4WNC explores the Digital Mobile Radio standard while reviewing this affordable digital handheld for the system
43 miniVNA Tiny
A pocket-size vector network analyser that covers 1MHz-3GHz and works well, writes Steve Nichols, G0KYA
56 Nitecore® D2 digicharger
Andy Talbot, G4JNT is impressed by this intelligent, multi-purpose charger that can cope with different chemistries, sizes and voltages automatically
78 Book Review
Giles Read, G1MFG looks at Hamsat and the 2014 RadCom Archive
Technical Features
18 Homebrew
Eamon Skelton, EI9GQ starts work on a high quality single band 10m radio suitable for direct use or as the IF for a transverter. Note that there is a correction to Figure 4 here.
22 Design Notes
Make your own ‘mains’, surprisingly fast 74VHC CMOS logic and a look at linear phase filters with Andy Talbot, G4JNT
44 Raspberry Pi in the Shack
In the first of a short series, Mike Richards, G4WNC explains how the Raspberry Pi computer can work as a SDR receiver server
48 Moving On
John Welsh, G0NVZ looks at how the transistor works
70 Data
An intelligent COM port for PTT, the latest Opera update and the possibilities of spread spectrum on the new 146MHz band considered by Andy Talbot, G4JNT
72 Circulators
Mark Atherton, ZL3JVX examines a very strange technology that uses magnets and odd-shaped bits of metal to form one-way systems for RF signals
80 EMC
Latest news on electromagnetic compatibility issues including plasma TVs, wind turbines and smart metering with Dr David Lauder, G0SNO
Regulars
91 Advertisers’ index
54 Antennas, Peter Dodd, G3LDO
68 GHz, Dr John Worsnop, G4BAO
64 HF, Martin Atherton, G3ZAY
63 LF, Dave Pick, G3YXM
95 Propagation, Gwyn Williams, G4KFH
60 QRP, Rev. George Dobbs, G3RJV
92 Members’ Ads, Rallies and Events, Silent Keys and Special Event stations
76 Sport Radio, Steve White, G3ZVW
96 The Last Word
66 VHF/UHF, Richard Staples, G4HGI
Category: Front Page News, RadCom
