Issue 215 August 18th, 2018

FT8 QSO Mode
No character type restrictions, 23 characters per 15 second transmit period. 
KN4CRD

ARRL annual report highlights membership problems
Membership is forecast to continue to decline in 2018 (2% loss is forecast).
KB6NU

New FCC Part 95 rules
Additional FRS channels and increased power on certain FRS channels from 0.5 W to 2 W.
ARRL

AREDN mesh network progress
We have been working on bringing up an AREDN mesh network at ARRL HQ and here at AA6E.
AA6E

Nunavut operation
Active from Iqaluit, Nunavut as VY0BRR using all modes and all bands except 160.
Southgate

How much battery do you really need?
There are some basic battery concepts that will help you sort through this confusing topic.
Off Grid Ham

Breaking ground
With building permit in hand, it's finally time to get my vertical... vertical again!
W0EA

SDR-Remote: A physical tuning and control knob for SDR#
This is a physical tuning knob that connects to your PC, and can be used with programs like SDR#.
RTL-SDR.com

Screwdriver antenna experiences
Even on a compact SUV.
Surrey Amateur Radio Club

More on the J-pole Antenna
A close look at how the J-pole antenna works with special attention to how it's fed.
David Casler

How to decode 433Mhz low power devices
Here we take a look at decoding some of the micro transmissions from Low Power Devices on the 433Mhz band using RTL433 software for Linux and Windows.
Tech Minds