Wes Schum Amateur Radios Unsung Hero

History of Amateur Radio and the bio of the man behind it, Wes Schum.

During the first fifty years of the twentieth century, ham radio went from being an experiment to virtually an art form. Because of the few government restrictions and the low monetary investment required, the concept of ham radio appealed to various people. More than just a simple hobby, however, ham radio required its operators to understand radio theory, be able to trace a schematic and know how to build a transmitter and receiver with whatever material they might have available. With the advent of World War II and the increased need for cutting-edge communications, the United States government drew upon the knowledge and skill of these amateur ham radio operators. This book explores the history of ham radio operators, emphasizing their social history and their many contributions to the technological development of worldwide communications. It traces the concept of relays, including the American Radio Relay League, from contacts as close as 25 miles apart to operators anywhere in the world. The book highlights the part played by ham radio in many of the headline events of the half century, especially exploration and aviation “firsts”. The ways in which these primarily amateur operators assisted in times of disaster including such events as the sinking of the Titanic and the 1937 Ohio River flood, are also examined.

During the Second World War German intelligence had deployed wireless teams throughout occupied Europe. Agents had even been deployed to mainland Britain to spy on British military activity. Monitoring and reporting of their wireless transmissions fell to a small, secretive and largely unknown unit manned almost exclusively by volunteers. The Voluntary Interceptors (VI) as they became known would spend hours every day at home monitoring the short wavelengths for often faint and difficult to copy signals transmitted by these German secret intelligence services. This unit was to become known as the Radio Security Service (RSS) and was at the core of the signals intelligence production effort at Bletchley and the insights into German military tactical and strategic planning. Without interceptors like the RSS, Bletchley would not have existed. Their story has never truly been written and RADIO WAR focuses on the secret world of wireless espionage and includes first-hand accounts from the surviving veterans of the unit. Its existence was only made public 35 years after WWII ended, shortly after Bletchley Park's secrets were exposed. Patrick Reilly, the Assistant to Head of MI6 Stewart Menzies, was to say of the RSS.... `a team of brilliance unparalleled anywhere in the intelligence machine.'

Clandestine radio operators had one of the most dangerous jobs of World War 2. Those in Nazi-occupied Europe for the SOE, MI6 and the OSS had a life-expectancy of just six weeks. In the Gilbert Islands the Japanese decapitated 17 New Zealand ‘Coastwatchers’. These ‘behind the lines’ highly skilled agents’ main tasks were to maintain regular contact with their home base and pass vital intelligence back. As this meticulously researched book reveals, many operators did more than that. Norwegian Odd Starheim hijacked a ship and sailed it to the Shetlands. In the Solomon Islands Jack Read and Paul Mason warned the defenders of Guadalcanal about incoming enemy air raids giving American fighters a chance to inflict irreversible damage on the Japanese Air Force. In 1944 Arthur Brown was central to Operation Jedburgh’s success delaying the arrival of the SS Das Reich armored division at the Normandy beach-heads. The author also explains in layman’s terms the technology of 1940s radios and the ingenious codes used. Most importantly, Covert Radio Agents tells the dramatic human stories of these gallant behind-the-lines radio agents. Who were they? How were they trained? How did they survive against the odds? This is both a highly informative and uplifting work about unsung heroes.

When Computers Went to Sea explores the history of the United States Navy's secret development of code-breaking computers and their adaptation to solve a critical fleet radar data handling problem in the Navy's first seaborne digital computer system - that went to sea in 1962. This is the only book written on the United States Navy's initial application of shipboard digital computers to naval warfare. Considered one of the most successful projects ever undertaken by the US Navy, the Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) was the subject of numerous studies attempting to pinpoint the reason for the systems inordinate success in the face of seemingly impossible technical challenges and stiff resistance from some in the military. The system's success precipitated a digital revolution in naval warfare systems. Dave Boslaugh details the innovations developed by the NTDS project managers including: project management techniques, modular digital hardware for ship systems, top-down modular computer programming techniques, innovative computer program documentation, and other novel real-time computer system concepts. Automated military systems users and developers, real-time process control systems designers, automated system project managers, and digital technology history students will find this account of a United States military organization's initial foray into computerization interesting and thought provoking.

What is QSL? This mysterious abbreviation means nothing to most people with the exception of those who are either radio amateurs or listen to shortwave radio stations as a hobby. "QSL" is one of a number of three-letter abbreviations, all beginning with the letter "Q" developed as a shorthand way of communicating in the early days of radio, when messages consisted of Morse code. "QSL?" meant a question, "Did you receive my message?" and its answer, "QSL" meant "I received your message." . When amateur radio and shortwave listening became popular hobbies before World War II and, again, in the 1950's and 1960's, thousands of radio stations around the world began confirming reception of their broadcasts by sending specially-designed QSL cards through the mail and these QSL cards became collectibles. That is when, as an adolescent, the author traveled the world and never left home..Section One of this book reproduces in full color 107 vintage QSL cards from radio stations in 78 countries. Section Two features cards issued by 34 radio amateurs and people who actively listened to shortwave radio stations and exchanged their cards. Section Three depicts seasonal greeting cards sent to listeners by radio stations in nine countries. A seventeen-page introduction initiates the reader into the world of shortwave radio listening and discusses all aspects of the hobby. .An appendix, "A Letter from Antarctica," recounts how the author, in Kentucky, was linked to a British meteorologist at a base in Antarctica via a radio station in Montevideo, Uruguay. .QSL: How I Traveled the World and Never Left Home is the first book to be published reproducing in color an entire collection of vintage QSL cards and will appeal to radio amateurs and shortwave listeners as well as historians, geographers, collectors of radio memorabilia and the intellectually curious..List price is $35.00. Dimensions: 159 pages, 81/2" x 81/2. Books ordered before December 31, 2020, will benefit from a -10% reduction for a special price of $31.50.

Foxhole Radio is the story of one of the more remarkable pieces of WWII soldier improvisation, a simple crystal radio receiver that used a razor blade for its detector. It is not remarkable for its technology - other radios worked better - but because hidden in its unglamorous amalgamation of scrounged parts is the history of army radio, morale, solid state electronics, field fortifications, and even military grooming. To distract himself for a while from the monotony of sitting in a foxhole and from the sporadic shelling by the enemy, a soldier on the Anzio beachhead made the first foxhole radio to listen to whatever stations might be in range. With no crystal nor cat whisker, he substituted what was on hand, a razor blade and a safety pin.It spread, by word of mouth mostly, across the beachhead, Europe and to the Pacific. Adopted by civilian radio enthusiasts, it became part of the lore of home experimenters and grade school science projects. More than a curious artifact of wartime improvisation, the foxhole radio reveals the story of the military's role in the radio development, and an intertwined tale of army shaving, corporate intrigue, and the evolution of the radio wave detector that led to the first solid state electronics. Foxhole Radio follows the history of army radio from the first experiments in the 1890s, to its coming of age during WWI, and its use for propaganda and morale during WWII. The razor and safety pin detector reveal a conflation of standard, archaic and folk radio wave detectors, the persistence of lore, and the army's battle with facial hair. The name "foxhole radio" itself tells of early field fortifications, words borrowed from across the lines, and the evolution of military jargon. Most importantly, Foxhole Radio tells the stories of the veterans who built these sets, how they built them, what they listened to, and their everyday realities. Though separated by thousands of miles with very different experiences, they were all united by a strange little radio and their desire to hear music and news from home.

Made to Break is a history of twentieth-century technology as seen through the prism of obsolescence. Giles Slade explains how disposability was a necessary condition for America's rejection of tradition and our acceptance of change and impermanence. This book gives us a detailed and harrowing picture of how, by choosing to support ever-shorter product lives, we may well be shortening the future of our way of life as well.

Business and industry leaders are eager to find ways to spark the creative instinct in their work forces. The creation, implementation, and sustainability of new ideas is the lifeblood ensuring the growth and viability of any organization. Without continuing innovation, competitive advantage and global market share are endangered. Once-thriving organizations can find themselves unprepared for the future. This newly translated work examines the multi-layered environment of innovation by melding the thoughts of business management pundits like Peter Senge with the views of artist, politicians, and other non-traditional thinkers like Tao Ho, Peter Greenaway, and Wolfgang Rihm. These thought leaders share their insights and help us to understand the process of creativity and construction and the methods to move organizations forward in an ever-changing climate.

Respond to the call of ham radio Despite its old-school reputation, amateur radio is on the rise, and the airwaves are busier than ever. That’s no surprise: being a ham is a lot of fun, providing an independent way to keep in touch with friends, family, and new acquaintances around the world—and even beyond with its ability to connect with the International Space Station! Hams are also good in a crisis, keeping communications alive and crackling during extreme weather events and loss of communications until regular systems like cell phones and the internet are restored. Additionally, it’s enjoyable for good, old-fashioned tech geek reasons—fiddling with circuits and bouncing signals off the ionosphere just happens to give a lot of us a buzz! If one or more of these benefits is of interest to you, then good news: the new edition of Ham Radio For Dummies covers them all! In his signature friendly style, longtime ham Ward Silver (Call Sign NØAX)—contributing editor with the American Radio Relay League—patches you in on everything from getting the right equipment and building your station (it doesn’t have to be expensive) to the intricacies of Morse code and Ohm’s law. In addition, he coaches you on how to prepare for the FCC-mandated licensing exam and tunes you up for ultimate glory in the ham radio hall of fame as a Radiosport competitor! With this book, you’ll learn to: Set up and organize your station Communicate with people around the world Prep for and pass the FCC exam Tune into the latest tech, such as digital mode operating Whether you’re looking to join a public service club or want the latest tips on the cutting edge of ham technology, this is the perfect reference for newbies and experts alike—and will keep you happily hamming it up for years!

Modulation, Demodulation, Amplitude (Schwingungstechnik) ; Amateurfunkstation.

"Having been born a freeman, and for more than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free State—and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold into Slavery, where I remained, until happily rescued in the month of January, 1853, after a bondage of twelve years—it has been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public." -an excerpt

Award-winning ham radio author Michael Burnette, AF7KB, takes you on a journey through every form of radio wave propagation, from ground waves to propagation in outer space.If you've thought "propagation is a lot like the weather -- you can talk about it, but there's nothing you can do about it" -- think again! For each form of propagation, you'll learn the best ham radio practices to increase your chances of "making the hop," whether that's across town or across the globe.* Ground Wave Propagation* Earth-Ionosphere Waveguide Propagation* Line-of-sight Propagation (It's almost never line of sight!)* Terrestrial ScatterPropagation* The Fresnel Zone* Knife Edge Diffraction* Tropospheric Scatter* Tropospheric Ducting* Tropospheric Bending* "Normal" Troposhperic Ducting* Elevated Tropospheric Ducting* Other Forms of Tropospheric Propagation* Ionosphere Basics* The Anatomy of The Ionosphere* How the Ionosphere Bends our Signals* Ionospheric Absorption* What Frequency Should I Choose?* Space Weather and the Ionosphere* Sunspots and Sunspot Numbers* The Solar Flux Index* Solar Flares and Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances* Coronal Mass Ejections* Geomagnetic Storms* Space Weather Terms* Types of Ionospheric Propagation* Getting Started in (Smart) High Frequency DX* Meteor Propagation* How the Pros Use Meteor Scatter* Working Meteor Scatter* Auroral Propagation* Space Propagation* Satellites* Moon Bounce*How we Figured out This Ionosphere StuffEach topic is fully explained in the conversational, plain-language style of the Fast Track ham license books, with a maximum of illustrations and a minimum of impenetrable math formulas.

Do you love technology and/or electronics but you just don't really like crowds? Enjoy making things work but not meetings with a bunch of people? Have no problem communicating, just have no desire for long pointless conversations? Then amateur radio might have something for you!That's right, a hobby all about communications has something for the antisocial in you. This book will take you on a whirlwind tour of things you can do that require a minimum of social interactions. No club meetings, no conventions, no field days for you my friend, just a ton of fun projects and activities for those who prefer things to be short and to the point.If you are not really into social media, would prefer a root canal to the yearly office party, and want something to do that is just as fun as it is intellectually challenging, then grab a copy of this book today and learn what all you can do in amateur radio!

In the woods of Massachusetts, pairs of contestants huddle in tents filled with communications equipment. Their voices soar through the air, riding waves into the atmosphere, as they comb through static and noise for a response from the other side of the world. They’re searching for loot—in the form of other voices in the sky. The rarer their contact, the more valuable their treasure. Joining them in their quest is author J. K. George, an experienced radio operator himself, who guides you through the exciting world of amateur radio competition and the intriguing characters of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship. The competitors hail from across the planet—from youthful challengers to veterans with decades of radiosporting experience. You will meet fascinating personalities not only among the teams themselves but also among their “widows”—spouses left behind for the allure of the airwaves. They battle computer malfunctions, getting lost, and staying at the top of their game for 24 hours in a hot, stuffy tent. The final scores bring surprises, disappointments, even a recount, and decades-long friendships will be stressed in the fight for the crown of amateur radio—the ultimate “contact” sport.

Learn how Lean IT can help companies deliver better customerservice and value Lean Enterprise Systems effectively demonstrates how the techniquesderived from Lean Manufacturing, combined with the thoughtfulapplication of information technology, can help all enterprisesimprove business performance and add significant value for theircustomers. The author also demonstrates how the basic concepts ofLean Manufacturing can be applied to create agile and responsiveLean IT. The book is divided into three parts that collectively explore howpeople, processes, and technology combine forces to facilitatecontinuous improvement: * Part One: Building Blocks of the Lean Enterprise sets forth theessentials of Lean. Readers discover where, when, and how Lean ITadds substantial value to the Lean Enterprise through integratedprocesses of planning, scheduling, execution, control, and decisionmaking across the full spectrum of operations. * Part Two: Building Blocks of Information Systems explores theprimary components of an enterprise information system and howthese components may be integrated to improve the flow ofinformation supporting value streams. Readers learn how informationsystems help organize and deliver knowledge when and where it'sneeded. * Part Three: Managing Change with IT demonstrates how the skillfulcombination of process and information technology improvementsempowers people to continuously improve the Lean Enterprise.Readers develop the skills to exploit emerging informationtechnology tools and change management methods, crafting a Lean ITframework-reducing waste, complexity, and lead time-while addingmeasurable value. Executives, managers, and improvement teams across a broad range ofindustries, as well as IT professionals, can apply the techniquesdescribed in this publication to improve performance, add value,and create competitive advantage. The book's clear style andpractical focus also makes it an excellent textbook for upper-levelundergraduate and graduate courses in business, operationsmanagement, and business information systems.

Sergei Rachmaninoff—the last great Russian romantic and arguably the finest pianist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries—wrote 83 songs, which are performed and beloved throughout the world. Like German Lieder and French mélodies, the songs were composed for one singer, accompanied by a piano. In this complete collection, Richard D. Sylvester provides English translations of the songs, along with accurate transliterations of the original texts and detailed commentary. Since Rachmaninoff viewed these "romances" primarily as performances and painstakingly annotated the scores, this volume will be especially valuable for students, scholars, and practitioners of voice and piano.