5 GREAT VIDEOS - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

5 GREAT VIDEOS

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


 Last week, I had some extra time to sit back and enjoy a few YouTube videos. There's a lot of rubbish out there....but you can always find a few diamonds in the rough! Perhaps these radio-related offerings might be of interest while you sit back and chill-out over this weekend.

The Intrepid DX Group

Ever tried making a radio contact or putting up an antenna in gale force winds and rain? This is a 7-minute video recorded by Falklands Island TV recounting a DXpedition a few years back by the Intrepid DX Group to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Intrepid is an organisation dedicated to conducting and supporting amateur radio DXpeditions, conducting scientific research exploring electromagnetic wave propagation, and promoting interest and proficiency in amateur radio communications with respect to improving operating and technical skills. In addition, the group is eager to give back to the remote communities they visit. Good stuff!!




How to Wrap a Cable the Right Way - "Over Under"

Years ago, I learned how to wind up long lengths of cable. I needed to know this skill! As a former director of music and music educator, I was forever helping and showing student bands how to roll up their cables - guitar cables, mic cables, power cables, etc. That skill also found its way into my radio hobby - coax cables, long runs of wire, etc. I had been thinking about doing a YouTube video for those don't know this important skill. But then I searched YT and found that a few others had already done this....so, why reinvent the wheel??!! The video below is one of the better ones on this topic. Importantly, it will keep your coax cables and antenna wire in good shape for many years to come.




The Coax Connection: Interview with Ray Nelson, N1MPD

While we are talking about cables, there are lots of poor quality coax cables out there in the marketplace. Ray Nelson, N1MPD and his wife own USA Coax (www.usacoax.com or www.mpddigital.us). Ray is an expert on coax and on the many types of connectors available, and his business caters to both amateurs and commercial users. Learn about coax! Here's the first of two videos on this topic:




The Coax Connection: Interview about bad coax with Ray Nelson, N1MPD

And here's the second video with Ray. It covers how coax can go bad, primarily due to water entry. He talks about the proper method of waterproofing coax connections, and how to spot the poor quality coax that masquerades as the good stuff.




Listening to the World - The BBC Monitoring Service

1985 Promotional Video

Those DXers and shortwave listeners who were around in the heydays of the '70s and '80s will remember the BBC MS and the important service it provided to many organisations. I stumbled across this promo video quite by accident (as one can often do when aimlessly surfing YouTube) and it's absolutely fascinating! Check out the equipment! Discover the information gathering systems that were in place in those days! Learn about why the Monitoring Service came into existence, and much more....! This is an engaging 30-minute "inside look" at the Monitoring Service.




Well, I hope you found some of these videos as interesting as I did. If you have any recommendations for great YouTube or Vimeo videos that could be featured here, I'd love to hear from you.

 73 and have a great weekend everyone!

 Rob Wagner VK3BVW


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