RadCom November 2015, Vol. 91, No. 11

| October 17, 2015

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Cover image: The new Icom IC-7851 HF-6m transceiver reviewed by Peter Hart, G3SJX. Photo courtesy of Icom UK.

News and Reports

6 RSGB Matters
Including new exam changes, volunteer vacancies, RSGB publications strategy, volunteer spotlight, Around Your Region photo quality requirements, QSL matters, congratulations and welcome
12 News
All the amateur radio news
14 New Products
The latest news from the amateur and technical market
80 Around Your Region
Club news and planned events around the country

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Reviews

30 MFJ-226 graphical impedance analyser
A versatile portable measuring instrument reviewed by Mike Richards, G4WNC
36 Icom IC-7851 HF-6m transceiver
Peter Hart, G3SJX is impressed: a radio for the serious enthusiast who wants nothing but the best
55 PK-4 Auto CW Pocket Keyer
Dave Cossar, GM3WIL reports on a pocket-size keyer that is ideal for portable and other uses
70 Book review
Giles Read, G1MFG gives his verdict on the ARRL Handbook 2016, ARRL Antenna Book, International Rescue Thunderbirds Agents’ Technical Manual 50th Anniversary Edition and The Long Silence Falls, volume II

Features

16 HF National Field Day 2015 Talbot, G4JNT
A contest with a long history, writes Quin Collier, G3WRR
58 Lighthouses on the Air 2015
Elaine Richards, G4LFM brings together club reports on this year’s event

Technical Features

20 Testing ferrites
Robert Dancy, G3JRD explores a way to examine the characteristics of unknown ferrites
25 Homebrew
An optical encoder for the tuning control plus AGC options for the 10m transceiver project by Eamon Skelton, EI9GQ
34 Moving On
John Welsh, G0NVZ concludes his look at the importance of a good earth at the lower frequencies
44 160 and 630m inverted-L for suburbia, part 2
Construction notes for the W1BB-inspired LF antenna complete the article by Dr David ‘Doc’ Wescombe-Down, VK5BUG
56 An isolated CI-V interface
David King, M0HVD shares his design process for a handy interface for Icom radios
76 Design Notes
A look at SWR bridges and a practical automatic line-of-LEDS SWR and power meter by Andy Talbot, G4JNT

Regulars

91 Advertisers’ index
68 Antennas, Peter Dodd, G3LDO
74 ARDF, David Williams, M3WDD
24 ATV, Dave Mann, G8ADM
66 GHz Bands, Dr John Worsnop, G4BAO
60 HF, Martin Atherton, G3ZAY
93 Members’ ads, rallies and events, Silent Keys, special event stations
92 RSGB Contacts
48 Propagation, Gwyn Williams, G4KFH
72 Sport Radio, Steve White, G3ZVW
96 The Last Word
64 VHF/UHF, Richard Staples, G4HGI

Category: Front Page News, RadCom, RSGB Notices