Today’s blog post runs the gamut from a powerful, portable receiving antenna from Comet to a wealth of ham radio references from the Radio Society of Great Britain:
Handheld Scanner Antenna
From the innovators at Comet comes the diminutive but dynamic new Handheld Scanner Antenna. Made for convenient transport and portable operating just about anywhere, the W100RX (25-1,300 MHz receive only) antenna is made to pull in the signals, while its double fold-over hinge design lets you fold it down alongside your handheld—even when attached to your belt. With an extended length of 40 inches and collapsed length of eight inches, the antenna includes eight telescoping sections and a base. Telescoping elements are marked to optimize receiving at specific frequency ranges.
Choose from models with BNC (BNC-W100RX) or SMA (SMA-W100RX) connectors.
Radio Society of Great Britain Publications
DX Engineering is pleased to carry more than 75 amateur radio titles published by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB)—an organization that has served the needs of hams since its founding in 1913 and incorporation in 1926. Per its website, the RSGB represents the interests of UK licensed radio amateurs and is a not-for-profit organization that “promotes the general advancement of the science and practice of radio communication or other relevant subjects.”
Here is just a small sampling of the RSGB’s voluminous output available from DX Engineering:
Building a Transceiver, Eamon Skelton, EI9GQ and Elaine Richards, G4LFM: This 176-page book brings to life how making something as complex as an HF transceiver can be achieved with very simple equipment and techniques.
Portable Antennas for Everyone, edited by Steve Telenius-Lowe, PJ4DX: A great book for those who want to get on the air and experience operating in the great outdoors. The 192-page paperback includes specific designs from around the world, starting with a fiberglass pole and a simple 10 meter length of wire attached to make a quarter-wave vertical antenna for 7 MHz. It touches on everything from antennas specifically for use by the ocean to dipoles, doublets, and lightweight HF beams.
QRP Basics, 3rd Edition: This updated paperback offers 208 pages of insights into improving your QRP station or getting started in this fascinating and challenging part of ham radio. Much of the book deals with the art of home-construction, providing practical advice on workshop techniques, and choosing and using components. Chapters are dedicated to simple construction projects based on tried and tested designs.
Radio Communications Handbook, 14th Edition: The RSGB Radio Communications Handbook has always been updated and rewritten so that it remains one of the best guides in the world to amateur radio technology and practice. In 26 chapters, two appendices, 600,000 words on 832 pages, it covers the huge breadth of amateur radio. New for this 14th edition is a chapter devoted to software defined radio (SDR) by Andrew Barron, ZL3DW, who provides insight into the types of SDR receivers and transceivers, and how they work compared to conventional radios.
We’ve only touched on a few of the many fine books available from the RSGB. Other offerings include the Radio Today Guide to FT8 and PSK, Radio Today Guide to FTdx101, Radio Today Guide to IC-7300 (also for IC-705, IC-7610, and IC-9700), Raspberry Pi Explained, Getting Started in EME, and many more.
Visit DXEngineering.com for the full lineup.
For more on the RSGB, watch DX Engineering CEO Tim Duffy, K3LR, interview Mark Allgar, M1MPA, RSGB commercial and membership manager; and author Andrew Barron, ZL3DW.
