FREE Radio/Hobbyist magazines

[WhiteNoisePoetry]

Not owned a vinyl plater fort for about 34 years.

Yet a bought cd/vinyl of Sleaford Mods a few months ago.

[Mikel]

Here are some more free legal magazine downloads:

Three copies of Practical Wireless:

Practical Wireless December 2019
https://magazinelib.com/all/practical-w ... mber-2019/

Practical Wireless January 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/practical-w ... uary-2020/

Practical Wireless February 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/practical-w ... uary-2020/


Three copies of Radio User:

Radio User August 2019
https://magazinelib.com/all/radio-user-august-2019/

Radio User November 2019
https://magazinelib.com/all/radio-user-november-2019/

Radio User February 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/radio-user-february-2020/


And a copy of CQ:

CQ Amateur Radio – January 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/cq-amateur- ... uary-2020/

Happy reading

[Mikel]

Managed to miss this one (interesting QRP edition)

February 2020 edition, CQ Amateur Radio
https://magazinelib.com/all/cq-amateur- ... uary-2020/

[Mikel]

Just in time to stop you going mad by pacing back and fore during the lockdown:

Practical Wireless April 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/practical-w ... pril-2020/

CQ Amateur Radio March 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/cq-amateur- ... arch-2020/

[Mikel]

As a special lockdown treat here are three recent editions of QST magazine, which just incase you don't know is the monthly membership journal of the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and usually only available to ARRL members.

QST Magazine – January 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/qst-magazine-january-2020/

QST Magazine – February 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/qst-magazine-february-2020/

QST Magazine – March 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/qst-magazine-march-2020/

Stay safe everyone!

[WhiteNoisePoetry]

Nice one Mike.
I see that many worldwide amateur radio organisations are allowing free copies of their society mags these days (officially).
Nowt from the RSGB though.
You'll be lucky to get a few selected pages from a year old edition knowing that lot.

- WNP -

[14CS06]

Hello

Réseau des Émetteurs Français

https://www.r-e-f.org/

https://www.r-e-f.org/images/2020_04_INTERACTIF.pdf

@+
Claude

[Mikel]

Nice one Mike.
I see that many worldwide amateur radio organisations are allowing free copies of their society mags these days (officially).
Nowt from the RSGB though.
You'll be lucky to get a few selected pages from a year old edition knowing that lot.

- WNP -

Yeah, the RSGB dont seem to make many issues of RADCOM available free to download. The only complete ones I could find were from last year that I already referenced. Incase anyone missed them, the four 2019 issues are at this link:

https://magazinelib.com/?s=radcom.


Speaking of the RSGB, I am not sure if many people have noticed the recent announcement from them regarding being able to sit the Foundation license online, at home and with no practical test required!

Now this will rattle a few cages i'm sure, but it had to come eventually and I personally think it is a great idea and I am pretty sure this arrangement will remain as a choice once the lock down is over and I predict the intermediate and full will be next, once this procedure proves to be successful!

For further details look here:

https://rsgb.services/public/exams/docu ... on_faq.pdf

One of the requirements is that you have a webcam so they can keep an eye on you! Another stipulation is no Linux machines so that's me out for the full then.

The other thing they stipulate is 'The invigilator will ask you for some photographic ID which he will then ask you to offer up to the camera on your computer' - oh well, another reason why it will not be for me as I do not own a passport or a driving license and I doubt that they will accept my railcard!

[WhiteNoisePoetry]

Well you may well find that when Radcoms advertisers revenue is down, that they'll be pushing for a free issue to widen potential buyers.

[WhiteNoisePoetry]

I wonder why no linux then ?

Can't see why not.

Has anyone asked them ?

[Mikel]

It looks like the RSGB have outsourced the examination software requirements to an online examination specialist company called TestReach but using RSGB invidulators initially.

TestReach run online exams for a number of companies such as The Institute of Directors, The UAV Academy and The Nautical Institute for example and they only seem to offer the examination application download in an MSI file for Windows machines (Windows 7 and above) and in a DMG file for Mac’s (Mac OS 10.8 or later).

I can only assume that Linux machines are in the minority in the general population but I would have thought that the percentage of Linux users would be higher amongst radio enthusiasts but who knows?

I sat an online exam a couple of years ago (ECDL IT qualification) which my work payed for but I still had to sit the exam in the local college under usual exam rules and I would imagine that when the Coronavirus crisis is over the option to run the exam online will remain but will probably then not take place at home so you will not have to worry about not having a suitable computer?

[WhiteNoisePoetry]

I think I've worked out why.

Linux users don't really like to blindy install pre packed binaries for security reasons.

That would mean naming the source code available, and I guess that test reach want to protect their code.

[Mikel]

Well yes, you have a point there and of course, maybe only Linux users because of the voluntary disassociation from Windows machines will see the point that you are trying to make - I certainly do and I will never go back to Windows as I need to pretend that I have some sort of control over my activities.

This is maybe not the place for a full discussion of the situation but I am pretty sure that the RSGB did not enter into an arrangement with TestReach just because of the Coronavirus situation, as these arrangement take a while to be discussed and then for a decision to be made regarding the best way forward, not to mention any interaction with the regulator OFCOM, that surely will have to have taken place before this arrangement relating to a licensing related issue was approved.

It seems obvious to me that this has been in the pipeline for quite a long while but the RSGB/OFCOM were waiting for the right time to disclose the arrangements to the general radio enthusiast community.

Anyone who has been a radio enthusiast for a while will be fully aware of the little bigoted group of 'full' license holders who look down their noses at everybody who has not passes a morse exam, or who did not sit the C&G exam etc, etc, blah, blah, pass the bucket spew, spew.

I'm sure that every now and again someone must clean the cobwebs of these people and fire up the defibrillator to make sure that their brains receive electricity so that they can still spout their individual form of vile prejudice and hate towards anyone that they deem below them.

The situation can and will encourage debate, shall we say, not only on radio websites but also on other sites regarding the full effects and reasons for the decisions and consequences of the powers to be, not only relating to 'radio 'matters but to the wider community in general.

'We live in interesting times' has never been a more apt quote.

[Mikel]

Well it looks like the RSGB were obviously reading our posts moaning about them not making many back issues of RadCom available free as the they have just announced:

'Read May 2020 RadCom completely for free'

Just go to the RSGB website:

https://rsgb.org/main/publications-arch ... le-radcom/


But wait, there's more!

Hot off the press:

Practical Wireless May 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/practical-w ... -may-2020/

Radio User May 2020
https://magazinelib.com/all/radio-user-may-2020/

[WhiteNoisePoetry]

I see the RSGB have their "free" issue online, but only if you use their crappy online viewer.

No pdf download for easy viewing, unlike all the others have done.

How petty.