Crystal Radio Projects Listening to Longwave ARRL RFI Book

review a new edition. Such is the Crystal Radio ARRL RFI Book 36th edition of the ARRL Repeater Our high-tech era brings Directory for 2007-2008. No, don’t Projects convenience at the expense of yawn! What’s ho-hum about the As technology speeds ahead at radio interference. Power lines, book with the greatest potential of a head-spinning pace, many radio telephones, computers, lighting actually getting new hams on the experimenters delight in returning fixtures, electronic accessories, air? to the days of old, marveling once home appliances, TV sets, radio again at the reception of signals equipment and other electrically- during a simpler time. operated devices are a limitless Crystal radio sets require no source of unwanted signals. external source of power; they de- The most comprehensive rive their earphone volume purely volume devoted to curing radio from the signal voltage itself. Me- frequency interference (RFI) prob- dium wave AM broadcasters are the lems is unquestionably this second most common targets for reception, edition of the formidable RFI Book but shortwave broadcasters, CB from the American Radio Relay stations and even aircraft commu- League (ARRL). nications can be heard as well. Publishers of the Xtal Set Society Newsletter periodically assemble articles and projects into Key chapters include: · Who is on the air, and when book form; their latest assemblage and where to listen to longwave of volumes 12 and 13 is such a communications. publication. · Transmitters (lowfer), receivers, 135 well-illustrated pages converters and antennas for contain instructional details on longwave. The bulk of the Repeater · Longwave listening tips for Directory – which comes in a building your own headset and cat’s beacon hunters, logging your whisker crystal, simple one-tube catches, and equipment. condensed, pocket size or the new, projects, amplifiers, coil winding, · Unusual users of the longwave large-print desktop version – is paper-box radios, shortwave crystal spectrum – navigation systems made up of periodically updated sets, crystal detectors, antenna rec- and military users. listings of active repeaters, along ommendations and much more. · Monitoring the sounds of nature with all the pertinent information to – Whistlers, Tweeks, Dawn’s access each repeater. The repeater And if you would like a head Chorus and other atmospher- start, the Society also offers do-it- ics. listings are divided into frequency range (or repeater type, such as yourself kits. · Background information on nav- More than 300 pages of profes- APCO 25 or Echolink), then by Crystal Radio Projects Vol- igation beacons, time stations, sionally-illustrated articles contain longwave broadcasters and state regions, for quick look-up. umes 12 and 13 is available for advice and construction details for NAVTEX weather broadcasts. But that’s not all. In plain, $15.95 plus $4.95 shipping from minimizing interference for virtu- · Transmit and Receiving equip- practical language, chapters give the Xtal Set Society, PO Box 3636, ment for the Lowfer license free ally any RFI challenge that arises. an invaluable overview of good Lawrence, KS 66046. Phone them experimenter’s band. And, if you’re interested in radio operating practices, repeater and at (405) 517-7347 or visit their · Reference section that includes direction finding (RFI) to track books and periodicals; clubs, emergency message handling, band website at www.midnightscience. down that offending signal, there’s groups and organizations; man- plans, repeater lingo and hints, and com. a chapter on building a variety of ufacturers and distributors of the names and addresses of regional – Reviewed by Bob Grove RDF antennas as well. longwave related products; and frequency coordinators. useful internet websites. This latest volume contains As ARRL Chief Executive This is a great book for the a reprint of the FCC Interfer- Listening to Officer David Sumner K1ZZ says, beginner who wants an overview of ence Handbook, a contact list for “Our service benefits from you monitoring the longwave spectrum, manufacturers of home electronics Longwave actively using your license, and the Most Monitoring Times read- and for oldtimers looking for a new equipment, and a resource guide for systems listed herein provide a way ers are familiar with the shortwave band to challenge. commercial RFI filters. for you to do so.” spectrum, but many of you are Listening to Longwave - The The exhaustive RFI Book is The large-print directory, not familiar with the spectrum World Below 500 kiloHertz is available for $29.95 plus shipping available for the first time by below the AM broadcast band published by Universal Radio Re- from the ARRL.* popular request, is $15.95 from the – the longwave radio spectrum. search. It is perfect bound, with a – Reviewed by Bob Grove ARRL.* MT Below 500 columnist, Kevin color cover and has 98 pages. The traditional pocket-sized Cary, WB2QMY, has written a You can order your copy of version is also available at $10.95. nontechnical introduction to the this excellent beginner’s guide from Repeater Or call and ask about the TravelPlus fascinating “basement band” of Universal Radio, Inc., 6830 Ameri- Directory for Repeaters CD, which combines the radio spectrum. Listening to cana Parkway, Reynoldsburg, OH Some publications from the the repeater listings in a map-based Longwave - The World Below 500 43068-4113 (800-431-3939) or on American Radio Relay League software which can be used with kiloHertz is an up-to-date look into their website at www.universal- are such stand-bys that we don’t GPS. the interesting world of radio below radio.com. Order book number fully appreciate the breadth of – Reviewed by Rachel Baughn 500 kHz. 0024, $6.95 plus shipping. information they contain until we – Reviewed by Larry Van Horn

74 MONITORING TIMES June 2007 published in 2005. On the Bench continued from page 71 ARRL Periodicals on The book’s com- CD-ROM plete title is: Music ❖ Conclusion The American Radio Relay League has Radio - The Great DRM provides exciting listening and DX- released their 2006 anthology of their popu- Performers and Pro- ing opportunities. While using a PC may not be lar journals on a compact, fully searchable grams of the 1920s convenient, at least we can hear and sample DRM CD-ROM. Every word and photo published Through Early 1960s. broadcasts now. I encourage shortwave radio hob- throughout the year is included for QST – the I met the author, Jim byists to try DRM, especially since the shareware official membership journal of the ARRL; NCJ Cox, at an OTR con- DReaM is free, it is possible to receive a 12 kHz – National Contest Journal; and QEX Forum vention in El Segundo, audio signal without modifying a receiver, and for Communications Experimenters. CA, three years ago. simply because it is fun. Using the Adobe Acrobat engine you can Jim is not only a very DRM reception is not always 100 percent. search the full text of every article by entering pleasant man, but he is At times the audio will drop out at exactly the titles, call signs, names – almost any word. a prolific author of OTR books. They include wrong time. Or, at times, the audio sounds, to me, You can see every word, photo (including books about radio soap operas, crime fighters, tinny, somewhat like cell phone audio. However, color images), drawing and table in technical audience participation shows, and the fading these are not deterrents. These simply present and general interest features, columns and of the golden age of radio into the early stages challenges. product reviews, plus all advertisements. And of what we know now as broadcast program- Why would someone endure, at times, drop you can even print what you see, or copy it to ming. outs, tinny audio, the need to download software, other applications. Web links appearing in the Music Radio is basically a history of the need to use a PC? Because the same person article can be used to launch your Web browser music as heard on American radio. The names will get out of bed at 2a.m. to chase that elusive to view additional information. of many familiar artists and groups are found DX. in the book, as well as sponsors, dates and times of broadcasts, and the networks carrying ******************************************** the programs. Not only will you find history, Kraig Krist, Manassas, VA some anecdotes, and insider viewpoints in the KG4LAC – Amateur radio book, but Jim introduces each subject with his KDX4KWK – All-Band Radio Monitor informed and expert analysis. 1 http://www.drm.org/consortium/history. I will list the chapters here so that the php variety of musical themes he covers will be 2 http://www.drm.org better understood: The Bell Telephone Hour; 3 http://www.drmrx.org/receiver_mods. The Big Bands; The Bing Crosby Show; The html Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street; 4 455 kHz IF to 12 kHz adapter available Cities Service Concerts; The Classics; The from http://www.sat-schneider.de/DRM/ Contests; The Disc Jockeys; The Fred Waring DRM.htm See Universal DRM - miniature Show; Grand Ole Opry; The Horse Operas; mixer unit The House Bands; The Hummert Musicales; 5 Sourceforge website, location of much The Kate Smith Show; The Railroad Hour; shareware including DReaM, http://drm. The Sacred Singers; The Vocalists; The Voice In addition to the features above, ARRL sourceforge.net of Firestone; and Your Hit Parade. Periodicals on CD-ROM includes source code 6 Sourceforge DRM compile instructions Music Radio: The Great Performers and for software projects and PC board etching pat- http://drm.sourceforge.net/installation. Programs of the 1920s through Early 1960s terns. And the 2006 version also includes Sec- html by Jim Cox is published by McFarland & tion News and ARRL Contest Results – with 7 DReaM.exe download site http://drm. Company (Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640; 800- individual scores and Contest Soapbox. sourceforge.net/forums 253-2187; www.mcfarlandpub.com). The Minimum System Requirements (Win- 8 From the Microsoft Developer Network 380pp. hardcover book costs $55. However, dows): Intel Pentium processor or higher. Library KB815065 “A DLL is a library I will cheerfully loan this book to any AWA (Macintosh): PowerPC processor. 128 MB of that contains code and data that can be member if it not already on loan. Let me know RAM, 90 MB of available hard-disk space for used by more than one program at the if you are interested in borrowing it, and let our either system. same time. editor know if you want more book reviews. The ARRL Periodicals on CD-ROM 9 http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/net- My small radio library includes mostly OTR is published by The American Radio Relay clipboard/qt-mt230nc.dll?download subjects, although I also have some antique League, Inc. and costs $19.95 plus shipping 10http://www.drm.org/livebroadcast/live- radio histories and price guides. and handling.* broadcast.php – Reviewed by Larry Van Horn – Andy Ooms, Pine, AZ; oomspine@msncom

* ARRL books are available from ham radio Music Radio: A Review dealers and on the ARRL website (www.arrl. The enjoyment of old time radio (OTR) org). You can also order League publications is not the same as the enjoyment of the DX on their toll-free telephone line 1-888-277- hobby, but some of us enjoy both interests. 5289 (Outside the US +1-860-594-0355), The enjoyment of OTR can take the form of or via snail mail to ARRL Publication Sales remembering the actual good old days of the Department, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT golden age of radio (about 1930 into the fif- 06111-1494 USA. ties) if one was born soon enough, listening to reruns of some programs on some broadcasting stations, listening to OTR audio streams on the Books and Equipment for announcement or Internet, or listening to and collecting your own review should be sent to What’s New, c/o Moni- OTR product. toring Times, 7540 Highway 64 West, Brasstown, Like any hobby, OTR has developed a NC, 28902. Press releases may be faxed to library of current and prior books about radio 828-837-2216 or emailed to Rachel Baughn, programming. Here is one that I have enjoyed, [email protected].

June 2007 MONITORING TIMES 75