Not being a pedagogical genius, it never really occurred to me until last year to give my General Class students a project to work on while we slogged through the material. Last year, some of them built little QRP kits. Not only was that fun, it was educational.
This year, I’m again asking them [...]

…KN4LF is now reporting another sunspot group from Cycle 23:
On Tuesday January 27, 2009 yet another solar cycle 23 sunspot group (S738) formed near S05E40. If numbered by NOAA/SWPC it will be 11012.
Solar cycle 23 is now 12 years and 10 months long from first spot to present one, an extension of the already record [...]

It’s too bad that Ms. Smith doesn’t have an amateur radio license, but perhaps someone close to Washington, DC can rectify that situation……Dan
ZCZC AG08
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 8 ARLB008
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT January 26, 2009
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB008
ARLB008 Laura L. Smith Named to Amateur Radio Enforcement Role
Laura L. Smith [...]

I like working state QSO parties, and last year, I had a lot of fun working this one……Dan
From Mark, WA0MHJ:
The eleventh annual Minnesota QSO Party is less two weeks away! There will be plenty of action with more than a dozen rovers traveling the state, along with fixed stations to ensure every opportunity for all [...]

IEEE Spectrum reports that an Illinois company can now print p-type polymeric transistors, making it possible for them to now print CMOS circuits. The article, Organic Semiconductor Breakthrough Could Speed Flexible Circuits, reports:
Although there are already polymer semiconductors that allow the printing of simple electronic circuits, for efficient flexible display screens or [...]

On the HamRadioHelpGroup mailling list, Bob KE5WZK notes:
While studying for college courses I learned about this upcoming program. Ham operators are participating by receiving data. How cool is that?
The article says:
[On Friday, January 23, 2009,] NASA researchers announced an event that will transform our view of the Sun and, in the process, supercharge the field [...]

—–Original Message—–
From: heathkit-bounces@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:heathkit-bounces@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of eugene@hertzmail.com
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 8:44 AM
To: boatanchors@mailman.qth.net; heathkit@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Heathkit] OT: How many list members?
I read this on another list and it reminded me of the recent discussion of Heathkit manuals and copyrights. Please don’t respond to this in any way to the list (lest I be guilty of [...]

Engineers Week 2009 is a collection of events designed to celebrate engineering and get kids interested pursuing an engineering career. You can celebrate Engineers Week by buying one of these excellent pocket protectors, either for yourself or one of your engineering friends. They’re only two bucks!
Send cash, check, or money order to:
Dan Romanchik, KB6NU
1325 Orkney [...]

Jim, K8ELR sent me a link to the United States Marine Corps Field Antenna Handbook, MCRP 6-22D. I thought that I’d covered this before, but couldn’t find it by doing a search. This manual covers antennas and propagation in a very straightforward way, and you can’t beat the price (FREE!)
Here’s what the manual has to [...]

It was a busy ham radio weekend for me.
On Saturday, there were four of us at WA2HOM, the club station at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. Jim, K8ELR, and I got there shortly after 10am. Also there at some point was Jack, WT8N; Ralph, AA8RK, and Jeff, KD8JAE.
The first thing we noticed was the addition [...]