Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

I'm curious about what your opinions of the ARRL Handbook. In terms of
technical content, such as theory, construction projects, etc., which years are
generally regarded as the best of the modern (solid state) era, and which issue
for the vacuum tube era?

I'm interested in hearing about specifically those issues with really useful
construction projects in the areas of complete homebrew receivers and
transmitters, test equipment for the bench and field use and articles about RF
circuit design.

Thanks for your opinions.
--
Dave
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot.

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

On Wed, 3 May 2006 21:36:35 -0400, "DaveM"
wrote:

I'm curious about what your opinions of the ARRL Handbook. In terms of
technical content, such as theory, construction projects, etc., which years are
generally regarded as the best of the modern (solid state) era, and which issue
for the vacuum tube era?

I'm interested in hearing about specifically those issues with really useful
construction projects in the areas of complete homebrew receivers and
transmitters, test equipment for the bench and field use and articles about RF
circuit design.

Thanks for your opinions.

I guess it depends on what you want to build. The latest issue is best
in the sense that you can still get all of the parts the construction
projects call for.

Many of the projects carry over from issue to issue -- it's hard to
single one out.

Your best bet may simply be to buy the CD version, and get one for
each decade going back as far as you want.

bob
k5qwg

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

I used to really enjoy the ARRL handbook. I used to purchase a new
one every so often here in Australia. I think the best valve ones
were in the late 80's and then naturally it slowly evolved to
semiconductors, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards and
more sophistacted circuits etc.

I think the old days of truly making your own receiver and or
transmitter are allmost gone.

I have become old any eyesight is now growing dim! I guess the days
of voltage doublers running straight off the mains because one was too
poor to buy a suitable power transformer are gone. I do like the
thought that the highest voltage one would come across now is probably
12 volts dc.
Many a time I forgot to turn off my carphone and 8 hours later I would
come out from work with a truly flat car battery.

When I look at some of the modern Ham gear I am amazed at how complex
and tiny they have become. I supposed all we really have left now is
making aerials and dxing.

Next time I am in the city I must checkout the latest ARRL Handbook as
I still enjoying reading them in bed.

Jim McCardle ex VK3ZOE in Australia.
================================================== =
On Wed, 3 May 2006 21:36:35 -0400, "DaveM"
wrote:

I'm curious about what your opinions of the ARRL Handbook. In terms of
technical content, such as theory, construction projects, etc., which years are
generally regarded as the best of the modern (solid state) era, and which issue
for the vacuum tube era?

I'm interested in hearing about specifically those issues with really useful
construction projects in the areas of complete homebrew receivers and
transmitters, test equipment for the bench and field use and articles about RF
circuit design.

Thanks for your opinions.

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

I kept my 1964 handbook and still enjoy looking at it from time to time

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

In article ,
"Juan M." wrote:

I kept my 1964 handbook and still enjoy looking at it from time to time

I still have my red 1957 issue. My father brought it home one day. I
was 14 years old and had this really big interest in shortwave radio.

--
Email:

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

"dale.j. " wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Juan M." wrote:

I kept my 1964 handbook and still enjoy looking at it from time to time

I still have my red 1957 issue. My father brought it home one day. I
was 14 years old and had this really big interest in shortwave radio.

--
Email:


I just bought a 1968 issue and a 1985 issue. Both look to be quite full of
theory and circuits. Haven't had time to look at all of the goodies yet, but
I'll get there. Already got my eyes on a 2-meter Xcvr and an RF bridge.
--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

My favorite has been the 1987 book.

"DaveM" wrote in message
. ..
"dale.j. " wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Juan M." wrote:

I kept my 1964 handbook and still enjoy looking at it from time to time

I still have my red 1957 issue. My father brought it home one day. I
was 14 years old and had this really big interest in shortwave radio.

--
Email:


I just bought a 1968 issue and a 1985 issue. Both look to be quite full
of theory and circuits. Haven't had time to look at all of the goodies
yet, but I'll get there. Already got my eyes on a 2-meter Xcvr and an RF
bridge.
--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters
in the address)

They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

"jawod" wrote in message ...
DaveM wrote:
I'm curious about what your opinions of the ARRL Handbook. In terms of
technical content, such as theory, construction projects, etc., which years
are generally regarded as the best of the modern (solid state) era, and which
issue for the vacuum tube era?

I'm interested in hearing about specifically those issues with really useful
construction projects in the areas of complete homebrew receivers and
transmitters, test equipment for the bench and field use and articles about
RF circuit design.

Thanks for your opinions.
The newest one is very good, I think. This is the first time I"ve read
chapters all the way through. I am re-entering ham radio after a long
absence.

I think the technical writing varies among chapters but on the whole is quite
readaable without being "dummied down". This is more difficult to achieve
than it sounds. Technical writing CAN be an art, though it seldom is. ARRL
editor deserves a lot of credit.

There are probably fewer homebrew projects (or at least they are simpler) than
the old days. But, there seems to be more info for building than I
remembeer...ordering PC boards, sources for parts, etc. I think blending them
into the theory within chapters is a very good idea.

That's my $.02 worth.
John
AB8WH

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

"jawod" wrote in message ...
DaveM wrote:
I'm curious about what your opinions of the ARRL Handbook. In terms of
technical content, such as theory, construction projects, etc., which years
are generally regarded as the best of the modern (solid state) era, and which
issue for the vacuum tube era?

I'm interested in hearing about specifically those issues with really useful
construction projects in the areas of complete homebrew receivers and
transmitters, test equipment for the bench and field use and articles about
RF circuit design.

Thanks for your opinions.
The newest one is very good, I think. This is the first time I"ve read
chapters all the way through. I am re-entering ham radio after a long
absence.

I think the technical writing varies among chapters but on the whole is quite
readaable without being "dummied down". This is more difficult to achieve
than it sounds. Technical writing CAN be an art, though it seldom is. ARRL
editor deserves a lot of credit.

There are probably fewer homebrew projects (or at least they are simpler) than
the old days. But, there seems to be more info for building than I
remembeer...ordering PC boards, sources for parts, etc. I think blending them
into the theory within chapters is a very good idea.

That's my $.02 worth.
John
AB8WH


Thanks for that John.
I haven't seen the latest issue, but have a 1995 issue. It has a number of
construction projects, but certainly fewer than the older issues. And those
that it does contain are solid-state related. I guess that falls to the modern
times.
I'm specifically looking for projects and articles related to vacuum tubes and
their uses in ham radio.

I totally agree that technical writing is an art, and should be practiced by
someone who has a good knowledge of the subject being documented. Lack of
knowledge results in confusing writings, which at times can be totally wrong. I
develop computer software for the US Navy, and see more of that than you might
think. No wonder those weapon system manuals cost so much to produce. Paying
competent tech writers what they deserve is an expensive task.

Thanks!@!!!
--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Some days you're the dog, some days the hydrant.

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

J-McC wrote:
I used to really enjoy the ARRL handbook. I used to purchase a new
one every so often here in Australia. I think the best valve ones
were in the late 80's and then naturally it slowly evolved to
semiconductors, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards and
more sophistacted circuits etc.


Just took a look - I've still got a 1977 issue. Threw out the earlier
ones when I moved around the countryside (RAAF Bases Amberley,
Edinburgh, Garbutt, Laverton (now some other name), not in any
particular order)

I think the old days of truly making your own receiver and or
transmitter are allmost gone.

I agree


I have become old any eyesight is now growing dim! snip

Well, eyesight's not dim, but I can't read without specs anymore


When I look at some of the modern Ham gear I am amazed at how complex
and tiny they have become. I supposed all we really have left now is
making aerials and dxing.

Yeah...


Next time I am in the city I must checkout the latest ARRL Handbook as
I still enjoying reading them in bed.

I can't do that anymore - book's too heavy, and my eyes get bloodshot.
BTW, I still have William Orr's 1978 'Radio Handbook' as well. That's
also good for a read occasionally, as well


Jim McCardle ex VK3ZOE in Australia.

snip

Argusy
AKA Graham (VK5CRC but "deaf" for 20 years)

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

I still have my 64 edition.

"Argusy" wrote in message
...


J-McC wrote:
I used to really enjoy the ARRL handbook. I used to purchase a new
one every so often here in Australia. I think the best valve ones
were in the late 80's and then naturally it slowly evolved to
semiconductors, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards and
more sophistacted circuits etc.


Just took a look - I've still got a 1977 issue. Threw out the earlier ones
when I moved around the countryside (RAAF Bases Amberley, Edinburgh,
Garbutt, Laverton (now some other name), not in any particular order)

I think the old days of truly making your own receiver and or
transmitter are allmost gone.

I agree


I have become old any eyesight is now growing dim! snip

Well, eyesight's not dim, but I can't read without specs anymore


When I look at some of the modern Ham gear I am amazed at how complex
and tiny they have become. I supposed all we really have left now is
making aerials and dxing.

Yeah...


Next time I am in the city I must checkout the latest ARRL Handbook as
I still enjoying reading them in bed.

I can't do that anymore - book's too heavy, and my eyes get bloodshot.
BTW, I still have William Orr's 1978 'Radio Handbook' as well. That's also
good for a read occasionally, as well


Jim McCardle ex VK3ZOE in Australia.

snip

Argusy
AKA Graham (VK5CRC but "deaf" for 20 years)

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

That's the first one I ever bought (graduated that year, that's how I
know) but sadly, now gone.

Graham AKA VK5CRC


Juan M. wrote:
I still have my 64 edition.

"Argusy" wrote in message
...


J-McC wrote:

I used to really enjoy the ARRL handbook. I used to purchase a new
one every so often here in Australia. I think the best valve ones
were in the late 80's and then naturally it slowly evolved to
semiconductors, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards and
more sophistacted circuits etc.


Just took a look - I've still got a 1977 issue. Threw out the earlier ones
when I moved around the countryside (RAAF Bases Amberley, Edinburgh,
Garbutt, Laverton (now some other name), not in any particular order)


I think the old days of truly making your own receiver and or
transmitter are allmost gone.

I agree


I have become old any eyesight is now growing dim! snip

Well, eyesight's not dim, but I can't read without specs anymore


When I look at some of the modern Ham gear I am amazed at how complex
and tiny they have become. I supposed all we really have left now is
making aerials and dxing.

Yeah...


Next time I am in the city I must checkout the latest ARRL Handbook as
I still enjoying reading them in bed.

I can't do that anymore - book's too heavy, and my eyes get bloodshot.
BTW, I still have William Orr's 1978 'Radio Handbook' as well. That's also
good for a read occasionally, as well


Jim McCardle ex VK3ZOE in Australia.

snip

Argusy
AKA Graham (VK5CRC but "deaf" for 20 years)

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

Argusy wrote:
That's the first one I ever bought (graduated that year, that's how I
know) but sadly, now gone.

Graham AKA VK5CRC


Juan M. wrote:
I still have my 64 edition.

"Argusy" wrote in message
...


J-McC wrote:

I used to really enjoy the ARRL handbook. I used to purchase a new
one every so often here in Australia. I think the best valve ones
were in the late 80's and then naturally it slowly evolved to
semiconductors, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards and
more sophistacted circuits etc.


Just took a look - I've still got a 1977 issue. Threw out the earlier ones
when I moved around the countryside (RAAF Bases Amberley, Edinburgh,
Garbutt, Laverton (now some other name), not in any particular order)


I think the old days of truly making your own receiver and or
transmitter are allmost gone.


It's not a question of can't. It's a question of don't want to.

Look at a Mini-Circuits catalog sometime. What people would have given
for those parts in 1940...0r 1960?
http://www.minicircuits.com/

My biggest beef with ARRL handbooks were they were too specific to
Amateur radio. If you knew RF theory and good design practice you could
build anything you wanted. They used to publish all these homebrew
receivers that were actually poor designs because they assumed the
amateur wanted a ham-band-only receiver and nothing else, and also did
not have a generator to align them with. They were also very trendy in
that when the new came in they promoted it to the exclusion of all
else. For example, they went over 100% to solid state on PCBs in the
early 70s, despite the fact a lot of hams never liked making PC boards
and quit building when they were convinced the tube equipment was no
good. They did not promote the idea that you needed good test equipment
and encouraged the use of half-assed methods and procedures. When they
did publish test equipment projects it was for the stuff you could buy
cheaply, not for what you really needed that was expensive. They never
published a frequency counter that was any good even though counters
were high dollar relative to build cost until the 1990s.

Still, there's a lot of good data there. My favorite ARRL books are
1955, 1962, 1965 and 1976. The RSGB books from that timeframe are also
excellent and the W6SAI book can be as well, but he was a poor editor.

Best ARRL Hankbook issue
 

That was a very informative reply regarding the whole homebrew thing. Where
CAN you find good circuits to build, by the way? I saw a cool schematic
for an all-tube general coverage reciver, but on the same site was a
harmonic-ridden two tube transmitter schematic. One band, no less.

I'm trying cook up an interesting homebrew project. Any ideas?


"Bret Ludwig" wrote in message
ups.com...

Argusy wrote:
That's the first one I ever bought (graduated that year, that's how I
know) but sadly, now gone.

Graham AKA VK5CRC


Juan M. wrote:
I still have my 64 edition.

"Argusy" wrote in message
...


J-McC wrote:

I used to really enjoy the ARRL handbook. I used to purchase a new
one every so often here in Australia. I think the best valve ones
were in the late 80's and then naturally it slowly evolved to
semiconductors, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards and
more sophistacted circuits etc.


Just took a look - I've still got a 1977 issue. Threw out the earlier
ones
when I moved around the countryside (RAAF Bases Amberley, Edinburgh,
Garbutt, Laverton (now some other name), not in any particular order)


I think the old days of truly making your own receiver and or
transmitter are allmost gone.


It's not a question of can't. It's a question of don't want to.

Look at a Mini-Circuits catalog sometime. What people would have given
for those parts in 1940...0r 1960?
http://www.minicircuits.com/

My biggest beef with ARRL handbooks were they were too specific to
Amateur radio. If you knew RF theory and good design practice you could
build anything you wanted. They used to publish all these homebrew
receivers that were actually poor designs because they assumed the
amateur wanted a ham-band-only receiver and nothing else, and also did
not have a generator to align them with. They were also very trendy in
that when the new came in they promoted it to the exclusion of all
else. For example, they went over 100% to solid state on PCBs in the
early 70s, despite the fact a lot of hams never liked making PC boards
and quit building when they were convinced the tube equipment was no
good. They did not promote the idea that you needed good test equipment
and encouraged the use of half-assed methods and procedures. When they
did publish test equipment projects it was for the stuff you could buy
cheaply, not for what you really needed that was expensive. They never
published a frequency counter that was any good even though counters
were high dollar relative to build cost until the 1990s.

Still, there's a lot of good data there. My favorite ARRL books are
1955, 1962, 1965 and 1976. The RSGB books from that timeframe are also
excellent and the W6SAI book can be as well, but he was a poor editor.