History Channel Show to Feature Nikola Tesla

Modern Marvels, a series on The History Channel, will feature electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla in an episode scheduled to air May 14. Helping out with the program was Bob "Loby" Lobenstein, WA2AXZ; Lobenstein is General Superintendent, Power Operations for New York City's subway system. "We did 8 hours of taping interviews at my 1904 power substation," Lobenstein said. "In addition to the action scenes of me throwing the 100 year old switches and demonstrating the use of power, I did a 'Mr Wizard' talk, showing the various things that 'Mr T' envisioned and invented.

more at http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8169

Organizing electronic components

Here's a neat way to store and organize electronic components from "Marxy's Musing on Technology" http://marxy.org/2007/04/organizing-electronic-components.html

W1TP MUSEUM OF TELEGRAPH AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

This site displays the magnificent keys, designed and machined by Richard A. Meiss, WB9LPU. Not only are they beautifully designed, but they are also works of art.

See more at http://w1tp.com/mrm.htm

Google Earth's Ionosphere

This just in: NASA-funded researchers released to the general public a new "4D" live model of the Earth's ionosphere. Called Earth Space 4-D, this new online tool visualizes the ionosphere using Google Earth and an Internet connection.

"This is an exciting development," says solar physicist Lika Guhathakurta of NASA headquarters in Washington, DC. "The ionosphere is important to pilots, ham radio operators, earth scientists and even soldiers. Using this new 4D tool, they can monitor and study the ionosphere as if they're actually inside it."

more at http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2008/05/02/10076/?nc=1

Morse Runner Demo

Morse runner is a contest practice program. It is so realistic that you really think that you are on the air. What you see in this video is totally computer generated. If you are interested in acquiring or improving CW contesting skills, Morse Runner is one of the best if not THE best contest trainer available. Best of all, it's free at http://www.dxatlas.com/MorseRunner/

SOLAR ACTIVITY & HF PROPAGATION

The Sun–Earth Interconnect Since the late 1800s, it was noted solar activity affected telegraphic lines, and later, radio communications. However,
there was no scientific proof for this link. From the 1920s onward, radio amateurs clearly correlated HF propagation and the MUF to the solar cycle. But again, there was no scientific proof. Astronomers and physicists knew there was a sun–earth connection, but without direct observational data, it remained an un proven scientific theory.

The scientific proof did not come until quite recently – basically, the space age – when we got our first look at the sun from outside our protective atmosphere. In the 1970s, the Voyager spacecrafts were the first to confirm the existence of the solar wind. It was not until Skylab that increases in radiation and the solar wind were linked to solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CME) were first detected. The sun-earth interconnect finally became a scientific fact.

More at http://www.qrparci.org/mambo/pdf/FDIM81.pdf

How to Do It: Basic Soldering