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Current Feature Articles   Nov 06 Surfin': Homebrewing Today   Nov 05 DX the Hard Way   Nov 02 ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up to Lately?   Nov 01 It Seems to Us: It Doesn't Just Happen   Oct 30 Surfin': Mapping Up   Oct 27 Amateur Radio Quiz: Assault'n Batteries   Oct 23 Surfin': Remembering the Woodpecker   Oct 22 The Amateur Amateur: A Soggy, Foggy, Doggy Demo in the Park   Oct 17 Youth@HamRadio.Fun: A Scouting Marathon   Oct 16 Pizza, Macaroni and a Cheeseburger ARRL Products: DXCC, DXing resources and Call Sign listings (More) The ARRL DXCC List -- May 2009 Edition. DX Century Club (DXCC) rules and current entities listing. A "must have" for every DXer! Passport to World Band Radio -- 2009 Edition. The ultimate shortwave listening reference! The DXCC Yearbook 2007 -- The DXing year-in-review: DXing activities, the Clinton B. DeSoto Cup and DXCC Challenge standings. RSGB IOTA Directory -- Everything you need to know to enjoy collecting islands for the popular worldwide IOTA (Islands on the Air) award. RSGB Prefix Guide -- The complete guide to prefix identification and information. DXCC listings by prefix, award details, and more. 8th edition.

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This week's Surfin' considers Web sites where Amateur Television (ATV) is going digital.

What Exactly Is 8-Vsb Anyway? answers many of your questions concerning digital television.

If you watched television during the past months, you could not miss the barrage of announcements concerning the switch from analog to digital broadcasting over the airwaves that will occur next year on February 17. If you use an analog television to receive broadcast signals over the air and not from a satellite, cable, or telephone company, then you will need a converter to receive broadcasts after Presidents' Day 2009.

David Sparano has written an excellent article, "What Exactly Is 8-Vsb Anyway?", that according to Nick Sayer, N6QQQ, has the best and most accessible description of 8VSB (8-level vestigial sideband modulation) that he has ever found.

Nick is working on setting up an 8VSB transmitter. His goal is to get as close to an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee)-compatible ATV station as he can get. He recommends the article to anyone who wants to get started in digital ATV.

By the way, Nick has a Web page and a blog where you can read about his adventures in ATV.

Another by the way -- if you search the Internet for digital ATV information, you will find European Web sites dedicated to the topic, but note that Europeans use DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) Standards that North American television receivers cannot demodulate.

Until next time, keep on surfin'!

Editor's note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, wonders if program content will also improve on February 17. To communicate with Stan, send him e-mail or add comments to his blog. By the way, every installment of Surfin' is indexed here, so go look it up.

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Next: The K7RA Solar Update