CQ Magazine Update

Just received an email from CQ magazine regarding delivery issues.

http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/news/2014_02_attention_cq_subscriber.html

The January edition should be out soon. Looking forward to the February QRP special.
CQ is one magazine that I read cover to cover.

Saw two robins in my yard today.
Looking forward to spring after this long cold winter.

Talk of more snow this weekend!

Electronic Kits For Kids

Electronics kits are a fun way of introducing children to electricity and study the wonders of science. Plus kit building offers parents valuable time with their children learning and exploring.

Today they're numerous easy to build kits with colorful blinking lights, loud sirens, and alarms to keep the interest of little ones. Kits are available with spring terminal contacts for easy wire connections with very little effort. The spring terminals are perfect for small hands and often kids are able to connect the wires better than parents. Another advantage is no soldering is required.

A number of manufacturer's offer a variety of kits for kids including Datak, Elenco Electronics, Maxitronix, Ramsey Electronics, and Velleman. A very popular selection of kits worth a look is The Electronic Lab series for ages 10 and up. The Electronics Lab is available with 50, 75, 130, 300, and 500 projects. The Lab offers the spring terminals connected right to the corresponding components and includes pre cut wires. A nice starter kit is order No. EP50, which has 50 projects including:

Finger Touch Lamp
Magnetic Bridge
Voltmeter
Morse Code
Alarm
Electronic Noisemaker
Kazoo
Electronic Keyboard Transistor Radio
Radio Announcer
Metal Detector

The Electronic Labs would be a nice way to get kids started and comfortable in simple wiring and spring terminal construction.

Another very simple kit with a long history behind it is the crystal radio order no. MX-901. This kit is recommend for ages 8-12, but we know a few adults still enjoy this kit, myself included. This crystal radio offers the spring terminals and only a small handful of components. The key to the circuit is a good solid ground connection and fully extend the wire antenna which is included. The crystal radio is unique because no battery is required. The fun part is to see how many radio stations you can pull in. Many longtime kit builders say crystal radios were the first kit they ever assembled. The crystal radio is a true classic kit.

AM, FM, and shortwave radios are also available using spring terminals and are very easy to assemble but need batteries to provide power.

Electronic kit building gets young minds thinking and exploring with a hands on approach that will build confidence with a finished project they will be proud of.

More Snow.....

This is the winter that keeps giving in the form of snow. The bad four letter word that we are tired of hearing.

Here is a picture outside my front window this morning. We ended up with about 12 inches with another 1-3 inches more tonight.

It will be a long time before I get to see my front lawn again.

Radio Shack Ad

I always look forward to the commercials during the Super Bowl, sometimes more than the game, like yesterday after the first quarter.

The Radio Shack ad was cool going back to the eighties.

Now just bring back a few ham radio rigs and accessories.

Indoor Activites

With the temperature staying in the teens these days, I am spending most of the time hunkered down with the heat up. I usually head outsides at night and put up my stealth magnet wire this time every year  but with the frozen snow on the ground it will have to wait.

In the mean time I found a few ideas for a compromise antenna found on the net and will post the results later in the week. QST landed in the mailbox yesterday and there are a few good articles of interest including: A Stealth Antenna for HF, A 10 Meter Beacon Transmitter, & Solar Banners - A Propagation Resource which describes what all those numbers mean. Very nice write up for new comers into the hobby.

Not sure if any of you have seen the devil baby video floating around on the net? It's pretty cool how it scares the day lights out of people but I am more interested in the electronics behind it.

I am waiting for the making of the devil baby video.
Stay warm!

Free Downloads

As of yesterday I still have not received my Dec. 2013 CQ magazine. I went to Face book to see if anyone else was looking for delivery on it seems like their was a delay in getting the December edition out.

With all the increases in postage and other costs it must be a challenge to put out a print magazine and at the end of the day make a profit. It seems like most magazines will be digital soon. I
prefer reading a paper magazine you can hold in your hands instead of off a screen. My e reader is still my computer now but might have to break down and pick up a cheap reader in the near future.

Popular Communications is offering a free download for the Nov. and Dec. 2013 editions.

http://www.popular-communications.com/

Enjoy your Sunday papers and free downloads.

Holiday QSL Card

Here is a perfect card for this time of year from Finland, a contact made back on Dec 30, 2011.

QSL cards are still a nice welcome surprise in the mailbox, this one was delivered right before Christmas.

New Years Day has some classics on the tube, The Honeymooner's Marathon on WPIX TV channel 11, outdoor winter hockey game this afternoon from the Big House in Michigan. Even if your not a hockey fan this one should be fun to check out, 100,000+ fans, cold, and calling for 6 inches of snow.

Also will spend time on the air and play radio maybe in between periods.
Time to break out the straight key.

Enjoy you day!