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Current Feature Articles   Feb 08 Youth@HamRadio.Fun: Ham Radio 2.0   Feb 05 Surfin': Viewing the New Star of Ham Radio   Feb 02 300 Feet of Cooperation   Feb 01 ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up to Lately?   Feb 01 It Seems to Us: Where Are the Spots?   Jan 29 Surfin': Radio-Spotting Through the Windshield   Jan 27 Amateur Radio Quiz: Blasts from the Past   Jan 26 Hamming on High   Jan 22 Surfin': My World Is a Radio   Jan 15 Surfin': Addicted to the Internet ARRL Products: VHF/UHF/Microwave (More) The ARRL UHF/Microwave Projects CD -- Practical projects, design and construction ideas for UHF and Microwave Experimenters Microwave Projects -- Complete designs and ideas for the microwave experimenter: signal sources, transverters, power amplifiers, test equipment and more. VHF/UHF Handbook--Second Edition -- THE guide to theory and practice in the VHF and UHF bands TravelPlus CD-ROM -- Locate repeaters along your travel route. Detailed maps and current repeater data. International Microwave Handbook -- Reference information and designs for the microwave experimenter. Published by RSGB and ARRL.

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This week's Surfin' discovers why the Sun's spots are in hiding.

The NASA Web site proposes a reason why sunspots are lacking in quantity.

Where's Spot?
When you are out in the field this weekend trying to work stations without the cooperation of Mister Sun, you may reflect on this article that Rich Zwirko, K1HTV, cited to me: "Mystery of the Missing Sunspots, Solved?"

The article appeared on the NASA Web site last week and revealed that "At an American Astronomical Society press conference today in Boulder, Colorado, researchers announced that a jet stream deep inside the sun is migrating slower than usual through the star's interior, giving rise to the current lack of sunspots."

Radio Lover
Last week, Surfin' examined the origin of the word "amateur" and discovered that it means "lover." In response, Tom commented on my blog, saying, ""It is very much the same in Russian -- a 'radio amateur' is called radiolubitel, where lubit means 'to love.'"

K1HTV
When I wrote the first paragraph above, I wanted to double-check the spelling of K1HTV's surname. I've known K1HTV for about as long as I have been licensed and I was sure I knew how to spell his surname. But when you have a surname like mine and know how easily folks can mangle it, I always play it safe and double-check the spelling of other surnames. My spell-check found me on Google, which got me to K1HTV's ham radio bio. It was impressive. If anyone qualifies as a "radio lover," K1HTV certainly does.

Until next time, keep on surfin'!

Editor's note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, is an unabashed radio lover and misses sunspots. To contact 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.

Previous: The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler

Next: President Obama Nominates Meredith Attwell Baker and Mignon Clyburn to be FCC Commissioners