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This week, check out Web browser Firefox and learn how to modify it for Amateur Radio.

N0HR.com offers a radio propagation plug-in for Firefox, the Surfin' Web browser du jour.

If you have not done so already, download Firefox and give it a try-out as your Web browser. I did many moons ago and after using it for a few days, I have never considered going back to the Web browsers I used in the past.

Firefox is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux i686 operating systems in over 40 different languages, so you should be able to find a version that suits your computer and your native tongue. Its features are numerous (you can read all about them on the Firefox home page) and they all seem to work really well.

The "Customize Firefox" feature is just like those old AMT 3-in-1 car model kits that allowed you to build a stock, hot rod, or custom version of an automobile. You can customize Firefox and install extensions to add new features so that it is more suited for your needs.

Harv Nelson, AI9NL, alerted me to ham radio add-ons for Firefox.

• Propfire is a Web browser extension that allows you to view HF propagation conditions on the Firefox status bar (the S, A, and K indices from NOAA). If you right-click on the Propfire values, a menu appears that allows you to display the latest full WWV report. You can download Propfire from the N0HR Web site.

• Firefox has a built-in search bar with a pull-down menu. You can add new search engines to this search bar including the AE7Q and QRZ.COM ham radio call sign look-up search engines. To add one or both call sign search engines to the Firefox search bar, go to the AE7Q Web site and scroll down to the bottom of the Web page to the "Install a browser callsign lookup tool!" links.

Messing around, one thing led to another and I also found Firefox plug-ins for the ARRL call sign look-up engine from Mark Petrovic, AE6RT, and the APRS findu.com search engine from Ben Mills, KG4QVP.

Until next time, keep on surfin'.

Editor's note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, tries out lots of Web browsers while attempting to find that perfect Web site. To discuss Web browsers, plug-ins, and more, e-mail Stan or add comments to his blog.

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