July - August 2026
July - August 2026
 WIA Member Digital Edition Download
Editorial
At an “industry” event one time, some wag said to me words to the effect that “I see you put some challenging – even saucy – words on the front cover of your magazine, but you’ll never get away with a topless model on it!” Too bad, mate, we just did it! OK, it was the 1970s and the term “topless model” meant something different in that “bad taste” era. Our cover photo this issue pays homage to the 2N2222 bipolar junction transistor (BJT). This particular one is seen inside its TO-18 metal case from which the cover has been removed.
Said by US-based establishment The Transistor Museum to be, “The most widely used and successful transistor ever developed.” The 2N2222 is used for general purpose low-power amplifying or switching applications. Lou VK3AQZ even uses them in his 80/40m rig project! The PNP complement is the 2N2907. Launched by Motorola in March 1962, the 2N2222 was later made by many other semiconductor manufacturers, such as Fairchild, ITT and Texas Instruments. Its plastic-packaged TO-92 cousin is the PN2222.
Logging – back to pen and paper?
Digital format contest logs have been requested or required more and more by contest and awards managers over the past decade, or even longer. The automation of log-checking has been afforded by software development, which is no surprise, as the automation of many other aspects of daily work and life has come to dominate our existence.
And I recall that touch-screen operation of transceivers and accessory equipment is no longer “a new thing.” As each generation of equipment appears, there is always some new technique of mode of operation to learn. Surely, it can only be a short step to the adoption of speech-to-text logging for amateur radio contests? But, in going forward like this, the question has occurred to me that, “could we be going backwards in some way?” I remember that well-known TV comic once commented on the way young people used their smartphones by typing with the thumbs. He opined that, eventually, humankind will develop hands with just two fingers.
Perhaps in that vein, my attention was drawn recently to a technical article published in an academic journal concerning handwriting and the learning processes. Apparently, the results of a research study in Europe revealed that students who took notes by hand performed better when tested for the application of concepts and understanding of a subject they were learning. Rather than copying material verbatim (think of that speech-to-text transcription app), students were found to summarise subject matter, adopt ideas encountered, and identify the central points conveyed during the process of writing. Pencil to pad. Pen to paper. Long term retention also gained from handwriting their own material.
It’s a matter of mental engagement, the unconscious action of subliminal sorting processes organising information. See, hear, think, do. Where have I heard that before? So, in future, will the contester’s motto become: I think, therefore I log?
Table Of Contents
Technical
 Basics of op-amp differentiating and integrating circuits - Elmo V. Jansz VK7CJ
A 1-to-1 “trombone” balun. All coax, alright, no ferrite in sight! - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
The end-fed half-wave – is it a bewdy, or is it bunkum? - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
Just what does your SWR meter indicate? - Gary Gibson VK2DBN
What is so special about 50 Ohms? - Gary Gibson VK2DBN
80/40 transceiver for Foundation operators and new-hand constructors Part 3. - Lou Destafano VK3AQZ
General
FT8 is amateur radio— just a different conversation - Dr Hank Prunckun VK5XB
Notable contributors to Australian amateur radio on VHF - Peter Wolfenden VK3RV
Tyro contester? Ten tips untangle the tripups - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, VJ2N and Trent Sampson VK4TS, VK4T
Guerilla Marketing amateur radio with Google Maps - Richard Murnane VK2SKY
Page Last Updated: Thursday, 23 Jul 2026 at 22:37 hours by Webmaster
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