CQ Amateur Radio

CQ is the magazine for active hams, with a focus on the practical. Every article is clearly written and aimed at involving you, the reader...whether it's a story of operating from some exotic location, an article to deepen your understanding of ham radio science and technology, or a fun-to-build project that will have practical use in your ham shack. Join us on our monthly journey through the broad and varied landscape of the world's most fascinating hobby!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CQ Amateur Radio

HAM RADIO NEWS

ZERO BIAS: A CQ Editorial • Looking Back at a Year of Looking Back

NEWS BYTES • New Flexibility for Multi-Operator Contest Stations

How to Tune a Yagi Antenna • What’s the difference between tuning and matching an antenna? W6KW explains, and then takes you step-by-step through the process for tuning a Yagi.

Screwdriver Antenna Controller For Your Smartphone • Screwdriver antennas have been around for decades, but why not take advantage of modern technology to change bands and frequencies, especially considering how difficult it is to route cables through today’s vehicles. AA4PG and N4DKD offer one solution.

A Self-Calibrating Tuning-Tracking Controller for Magnetic Field Loop Antennas • The Quest for a Smaller, Yet Practical, Antenna

CQ Reviews: Impulse Electronics Max Go Box • A Battery Box with Brains!

Build a Portable High Efficiency 4-Band Vertical Antenna • The author’s search for a portable multi-band HF antenna he could fit in his car and put up / take down on his own led him to … designing his own (one of the things that makes ham radio great!). AC8GY shares his design with us here (another thing that makes ham radio great!)

Design Considerations

The Texas Star Multi-Band Antenna • Five Bands, One Feedline, No Tuner

A Simple Dual-Band Upgrade for Your 40-Meter Dipole • You might be using — or have used — a 40-meter dipole on 15 meters, but W1IS and KC1DSQ say that making it resonant on one band moves the resonant point on the second out of band. But they also say there’s an easy solution. Read on …

MATH’S NOTES • The Future Still Will Not Necessarily Be What We Think It Will Be

HAMS - HAMS - PAST - PRESENT - FUTURE

CONTESTING • Contest Activity is Still Up as Contesters Stay Safe

THE LISTENING POST • Palau Back on the Air as Hope Radio Plus, Brazilian Stations Power Up

The Ferrite-Sleeve Autotransformer • Looking for a simple way to match your HF antenna to 50-ohm coax? Autotransformers offer wide bandwidth, high efficiency, and excellent power-handling capability while delivering a wide range of matching ratios.

Announcing: 2021 CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest • NEW Multi-Transmitter Distributed Category Added as of 2021

Download Radio Calls from Gordo’s “On the Air” License Manual CDs for Free! • Looking for the sounds of real ham QSOs and exotic propagation modes for presentations? WB6NOA has you covered, and it’s all free!

COMMUNICATIONS HORIZONS • Are You Going Hybrid?

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS • It’s Exercise Time!

KIT BUILDING • Being Well-Grounded

what’s new

QRP: Low-Power Communications • A Conversation about the True Meaning of QRP, Revisited …and Thoughts from “the Land Down Under”

MICROCONTROLLERS IN AMATEUR RADIO • 2 Projects + 2 Books = Microcontroller Fun

Oops…

Announcing: 2021 Nominations Open for the CQ Amateur Radio, DX, and Contest Halls of Fame

ANALOG ADVENTURES • Getting More FUN From Your FUNction Generator

LEARNING CURVE • Match This!

BEHIND THE BYLINES… • … a little bit about some of the authors whose articles appear in this issue.

ANTENNAS • Antenna...