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Amateur radio magazines

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Amateur radio magazines
Oldest US titleQST, published since December 1915
ARRL magazinesQST, On the Air, QEX, NCJ
ARRL member accessDigital editions of all four; printed QST or On the Air for an added fee
Usual contentNews, technical articles, construction projects, product reviews, operating and contest results
Elsewhere
UKRadCom (RSGB), Practical Wireless
CanadaThe Canadian Amateur (RAC)
AustraliaAmateur Radio (WIA)
Notable past titles73 (1960–2003); CQ suspended in 2023

Amateur radio magazines are periodicals written for hams, carrying news, technical articles, construction projects, equipment reviews, operating columns and contest results. Most of the long-running titles are the journals of national societies, such as the ARRL's QST, and are sent to members as part of their dues. A few are independent commercial magazines. Nearly all are now available in digital editions, read on the web or in phone and tablet apps, and many societies give members online access to decades of back issues.

ARRL magazines

The ARRL publishes four magazines, each aimed at a different reader.

  • QST is the league's monthly membership journal. Its first issue appeared in December 1915, the year after the league was founded.[1] Each issue mixes news, technical tips, projects and equipment reviews; past product reviews are kept in a separate online archive for members, which is useful when comparing radios before buying.[2]
  • On the Air, launched in January 2020, is a bimonthly magazine for beginner and intermediate operators, whatever their license class or years licensed.[3] It has a companion podcast that looks more deeply at selected articles.[3]
  • QEX is a bimonthly journal of technical articles, read by experimenters and by professionals in the communications field.[4] See Homebrewing.
  • NCJ, the National Contest Journal, is a bimonthly magazine for contesters, with operating advice from leading competitors and results of events such as the North American Sprint and QSO parties. A cumulative index covers 1973 through 2003.[5]

All ARRL members receive digital access to the four magazines. Printed copies are an option: members can pay an added yearly fee to receive QST or On the Air by mail.[6] QEX and NCJ can also be bought as separate subscriptions. Members can also read QST back issues online, from the December 1915 issue onward.[2]

Other society journals

Most national member societies of the International Amateur Radio Union publish a journal of their own.

  • RadCom is the monthly journal of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), sent free to members and readable on the web or in a mobile app. It is backed by two digital publications: RadCom Plus, a technical supplement, and RadCom Basics, a bimonthly that explains key topics in plain terms for newer hams.[7]
  • The Canadian Amateur (TCA) is published six times a year by Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), in print and as a digital edition called eTCA. The digital edition comes with membership, and a printed copy costs extra.[8] It carries columns, features, technical articles and news from across Canada.
  • Amateur Radio is the magazine of the Wireless Institute of Australia, published six times a year in print and as a PDF that members can download.[9]

Independent magazines

CQ Amateur Radio, first published in January 1945 and in later decades issued by CQ Communications of Hicksville, New York, was for decades the main independent US ham magazine, known especially for its coverage of DXing and contesting.[10] It also gave its name to major contests such as the CQ World Wide DX Contest. Its last issue was dated October 2023.[10] In December 2023 the publisher said publication was suspended while it looked for funding, and the magazine has not reappeared since.[11] The contests that carry its name, such as CQ World Wide and CQ WPX, continue under their own volunteer committees, with the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation running their websites and log checking.[12]

Practical Wireless is a monthly British magazine, published by Warners Group Publications, that focuses on building and hands-on projects. It is sold in print and as a digital edition.[13]

Past titles

Many magazines have come and gone. 73, founded by Wayne Green, published its first issue in October 1960 and moved to Peterborough, New Hampshire, in 1962. It closed with the September 2003 issue,[14] and scans of more than 500 of its issues can be read free at the Internet Archive.[15] WorldRadio, a monthly published from 1971 that focused on the people of the hobby, was taken over by CQ Communications in 2008 and moved online as part of the CQ family of magazines.[16] Old issues of these and other defunct titles turn up at hamfests and are prized by collectors and restorers of vintage equipment.

Before buying a new radio, look up its review in the magazine archives. ARRL members can look up past QST product reviews online, and a detailed review says more than an advertisement.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Inside W1AW, ARRL.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 QST, ARRL.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 On the Air Magazine, ARRL.
  4. ↑ QEX, ARRL.
  5. ↑ NCJ, ARRL.
  6. ↑ Become a Member, ARRL.
  7. ↑ RadCom, RSGB.
  8. ↑ The Canadian Amateur Magazine (TCA), Radio Amateurs of Canada.
  9. ↑ About AR Magazine, Wireless Institute of Australia.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 CQ Amateur Radio, Wikipedia.
  11. ↑ CQ Magazine Publication "Temporarily Suspended", This Week in Amateur Radio, December 2023.
  12. ↑ CQ WW Organization, CQ World Wide DX Contest.
  13. ↑ Practical Wireless Subscriptions, Warners Group Publications.
  14. ↑ 73 (magazine), Wikipedia.
  15. ↑ 73 Magazine collection, Internet Archive.
  16. ↑ CQ Acquires World Radio Magazine, KB6NU, November 2008.
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