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RadCom
May 2012, Vol. 88, No. 5

RadCom is the Radio Society of Great Britain Members' magazine and is sent free every month to Members of the Radio Society of Great Britain.

RadCom has the largest amateur radio readership in the UK and is respected throughout the world.

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Contents RadCom May 2012

Members log-in is required to read the magazine online

• News and Reports

  6 RSGB Matters
  Including Society matters, an update on Repeater & Beacon NoVs, London 2012 Olympics and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee QSO Party news, New Members and Congratulations
  12 News
  All the amateur radio news
  13 GB3RS
  Flagship amateur radio station at the National Radio Centre
  68 Club of the Year
  Thumbnail sketches of the winning clubs
  by Elaine Richards, G4LFM
  80 Around Your Region
  Club news and planned events around the country

• Review

  32 Icom IC-9100
  It’s an excellent all-round solution says Peter Hart, G3SJX, but he is concerned about its signal handling in contest conditions
  39 Book review
  Get on the Air with HF Digital and Emergency Power for Radio Communications come under the G1MFG spotlight this month

• Technical Features

  14 Remote antenna switching
  Two different approaches by Chris Saunders, G4ZCS and Ken Ginn, G8NDL
  18 Homebrew
  Eamon Skelton, EI8GQ looks at the input and output matching for his high power 2m linear amplifier
  26 Design Notes
  A mixed bag of frequency doubling, power supplies and testing by Andy Talbot, G4JNT
  61 How the VSWR meter works
  Reg Irish, G4LUF shows how this useful and relatively simple circuit belies some complicated concepts

• Features

  21 Urban fox hunting
  “It’s like a game of hide and seek”writes Alastair Turner, G4RUL
  38 M5E in ARRL DX Contest
  Seppo Sisatto, OH1VR describes operating from the Marconi Centre in Poldhu using England’s shortest possible CW callsign
  40 More adventures in optical communications
  Stuart Wisher, G8CYW brings us up to date on the latest developments in the nanowave bands
  43 There are alligators...
  ... on the sharp end of the pileup, writes Tom Morgan, ZS1AFS/G0CAJ/ZT1T
  65 Mobile operation from a narrowboat
  Robin Richards, G4IRD shares some hints, tips and experiences of operating from an inland waterways boat
  75 National Hamfest
  A look ahead to September’s big event
  86 The story of the Camb-Hams
  Incipient anarchy or a revolutionary new club structure? Dominic Smith, M0BLF explains how it works for them

• Regulars

  52 Antennas, Peter Dodd, G3LDO
  74 ARDF, Bob Titterington, G3ORY
  46 ATV, Roy Powers, G8CKN
  59 GHz Bands, Sam Jewell, G4DDK
  54 HF, Don Field, G3XTT
  87 Members’ Ads, Rallies & Events, Silent Keys, Special Event Stations
  78 Propagation, Gwyn Williams, G4KFH
  72 Sport Radio, Steve White, G3ZVW
  30 Start Here, Jonathan Constable, M5FUN and Tatiana McArthur, MM6TAT
  92 The Last Word
  58 VHF/UHF, David Butler, G4ASR

• Extra

  42 Competition - Win an InnovAntennas 9-ele 2m LFA Yagi

Information for RadCom readers

Copyright

© 2012 Radio Society of Great Britain. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Radio Society of Great Britain.

Errors and Omissions

Whilst the Radio Society of Great Britain—the publisher—takes all reasonable care in the production of RadCom, we can accept no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions contained within the magazine or any subsequent loss arising from any use thereof. Reliance placed on the contents of RadCom is at the reader's own risk. We urge any reader to take all precautions appropriate to avoid any loss or damage to equipment and ensure the personal safety of themselves and others when using material contained in RadCom. It should be also noted that patent or copyright protection may exist in relation to any items within this magazine. The RSGB does not accept any responsibility for failing to identify any such patents, copyright or any other protection.

Readers are also reminded that the use of radio transmission and reception equipment—including scanning—is subject to licensing and the erection of external aerials may be subject to local authority planning regulations.

Advertisements

Although RSGB staff and the staff of Danby Advertising—its Advertising Agent—take reasonable precautions to protect the interests of readers by ensuring as far as practicable that advertisements in the pages of RadCom are bona fide, the magazine and its publisher, the RSGB, cannot accept any undertaking in respect of claims made by advertisers, whether these advertisements are printed as part of the magazine, or are in the form of inserts. Under no circumstances will the magazine accept liability for non-receipt of goods ordered, late delivery, or faults in manufacture. Legal remedies are available in respect of some of these circumstances, and readers who have complaints should address them to the advertiser or should consult a local Trading Standards Office, a Citizens’ Advice Bureau, or their own solicitors. The publishers make no representation, express or implied, that equipment advertised conforms with any legal requirements of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 1992. Readers should note that prices advertised may not be accurate due to currency exchange rate fluctuatons, or tax changes.