Happy April everyone - and no there are NO APRIL FOOLS JOKES in this issue! Once again, thanks for all the great feedback on the March issue (and prior issues) of The Logger's Bark, the newsletter & magazine of W7DK, The Radio Club of Tacoma! You can read about the club at www.W7DK.org and if you're ever in Tacoma, WA on a Saturday, the club holds open house almost every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and all are welcome. Full details at the link. In this month's April 2025 issue of The Logger's Bark magazine: Agent 0073: Secret Agent Ham and the TW-100F Spy Transceiver - see/hear it operate (cover story) John L. Reinartz: The Father of Shortwave! The True Story of W2OY: "No lids, no kids, or Space Cadets!" - hear a clip of one of his calls Frugal Ham: RTL-SDR V4 Software Defined Receiver W7DK Web Page as it first appeared way back in 1998! Cool old rig: National NC-66 portable shortwave radio set 50-Years recreation of a Ham's First QSO ... and how it turned out - see/hear the QSO See Marlon Brando's FO5GJ South Pacific Island ham shack And a whole bunch more - photos, tips, tricks, blurbs, puzzles, all about amateur radio and NEVER any ads! Download April 2025 issue of The Logger's Bark HERE: >>>>>>>> https://static.qrz.com/w7dk/April2025-QRZ.pdf IMPORTANT: Be sure to actually download it to read - if you merely use Preview mode, the external links won't work! Also, to open a link, "Right Click" > "Open in New Tab". The software I use unfortunately doesn't support "targeted links"... unless you right click, you will leave the document. Here's a lower res version for slower connections: https://static.qrz.com/w7dk/April2025-QRZ-compressed.pdf Dave W7UUU Editor/Publisher [image below is static - the links won't work - download with the link above]
Thanks for posting, I always enjoy reading it. I'm taking my wife to some appointments tomorrow so I have all day to enjoy it.
Amazed that RCT actually owns their clubhouse. I’ve not encountered a club anywhere here in NJ that can say the same.
Be sure, if you read nothing else, to read the article on the "Spy Radio" (the cover story) and watch the video to see it in operation - really a super cool radio! The other article to not miss is the "50 Years Recreation QSO" ... that was a really bitter-sweet one for me to write. It also has a video of the entire QSO complete with backstory and full subtitles of the CW QSO that followed. PS - James, Agent 0073, the "Spy" on the cover, is my bro-in-law Jim who had a blast playing spy for the photos! Not a ham but he really got into it. Dave W7UUU
Sharp-eyed viewers will notice the "Boris & Natasha" and "Spy v. Spy" motifs on Agent 0073's office credenza... Dave W7UUU
Hi Dave and Gang, As an early teenager (just a kid), I would listen with my Heathkit GR-64 SWL receiver and long wire near Cleveland, Ohio. Mike (W2OY) would go through his dissertation: no "VOX' operators, no fast talkers , only 2-leter calls Class "A" operator only. the local young hams would try to talk to Mike, but only once in awhile until they started with the fast talking and using their modern gear and no ART-13's etc from the BIG WAR WWII. Oh, and don't even try SSB, you would here him rant and rave about the NEW mode with no "carrier" to keep the "S" meter hanging up. Just wanted to thank you and your club for a great news letter, kind of like Tom (KB8UUZ) who does the PCARS newsletters for one of the clubs I belong to. 73, Jeff/ WA8SAJ
It's amazing that a local publication has more information and is more entertaining than ARRL's own magazine. Simply guys, you've overdone yourselves with each new magazine. I'm really impressed. Maybe ARRL should take notes?
I really enjoyed the article on the TW-100F Spy Transceiver. Such things have always interested me. They are not inexpensive but can be found for sale! It should come with a dray vodka martini.
It really is cool! Very different in "culture" - no filters, no RIT, but wasn't designed for hams after all Lots of fun to operate though... did you watch the video linked in the article seeing it in use on SSB as well as CW? Dave W7UUU
