by Sean Trainor
The telegraph has become the epitome of an obsolete technology. The last telegram was sent two years ago, and Morse code blinked out a few years before that. But in terms of influence, Samuel Finley Breese Morse—born on this day, April 27, in 1791—is anything but obsolete.
Described by biographer Carleton Mabee as “the American Leonardo,”Morse was a man of varied talents and diverse interests. Trained as a visual artist, Morse became one of the early republic’s finest painters and an early adopter of daguerreotype photography. Morse was also influential in 19th-century American politics—though his impact in this area was less salutary. A three-time candidate for public office, Morse lent his influence to anti-Catholic and proslavery political movements.
Even if Morse’s reputation were limited to his famous invention, however, he would still deserve more attention than he receives. Antiquated though it seems, the telegraph represented a revolution in communications rivaling both the printing press and Internet. Indeed, thanks to Morse’s invention, communication was, for the first time in history, no longer limited to the speed at which a physical message could pass between locations. So long as they were linked by telegraphic wires, humans were liberated from the tyranny of distance; Samuel F. B. Morse had, in the saying of contemporaries, “obliterated time and space.”
The path to this legacy was an unlikely one. Born shortly after George Washington’s inauguration as president, Morse was the eldest son of Josiah Morse: early America’s leading geographer and the minister of a venerable Congregationalist church in Massachusetts…..READ MORE
Review
“Life Above 50 MHz” [ ARRL PODCAST ]
“Life Above 50 MHz” is the topic of the new (January 17) episode of the “ARRL The Doctor is In” podcast. Listen…and learn! Sponsored by DX Eng... Read more
Retevis RT52 Dual Band DMR Radio
“The newest Dual Band DMR HT from Retevis is the RT-52. With a dark screen and white fonts, this radio has a unique look from the start. The cod... Read more
Messi & Paoloni Is Better Than LMR Coax
“Yes, it sure is. Comparing the losses between Messi & Paoloni & LMR Coax cables. The numbers don’t lie in this heated battle betw... Read more
How To Power Your Ham Radio Station, Power Supplies, Batteries, Mobile
An important first step in ham radio is figuring out how you want to power your radio station. Reagrdless if it being at home or in the field, you nee... Read more
Equipment
QUADRUS SDR | PHASE-COHERENT MULTI-CHANNEL SDR
The QUADRUS SDR platform is complete ready to use integrated platform for advanced SDR software received implementation. It contains all the el... Read more
Xiegu X1M Pro QRP Transceiver
Frequency range RX & TX: 100 kHz ~ 30 MHz* Modes: USB & LSB & CW Power output: 5 Watts Operating voltage: 12 vdc Operating current: 0.35... Read more
Ampleon announces the industry’s most rugged 2KW RF power LDMOS transistor for ISM applications
Ampleon has released the first of a family of RF power devices based upon its Advanced Rugged Technology (ART) derivative of the proven 9th generation... Read more
Uniden SDS200 – Analog & Digital [ VIDEO ]
Overview Introducing the SDS200, Uniden’s latest and most advanced base/mobile digital trunking scanner. The SDS200 incorporates the latest True I/Q r... Read more
An In Depth Look At ICOM IC-705 HF VHF UHF QRP Transceiver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abbSuqz59co Read more
Antenna
Multiband Delta Antenna – M0PLK
Multiband Delta Antenna Closed loop antennas are always less sensitive to noise than open driven element antennas (e.g. vertical or dipole). T... Read more
How High should my Dipole Antenna be?
Dipole Antennas – the Effect of Height Above Ground I frequently hear the question: how high should my dipole be? Or alternatively, will my dipo... Read more
AG6IF BUILT 3DFL, 2 METER FULL WAVE HAM RADIO ANTENNA, WORKS ON 440 70CM ALSO
You are looking at a AG6IF built 2 meter ham radio antenna. 3 dimensional folded Full wave loop design. Rugged and solid with soldered copper connect... Read more
QST Antenna Design Competition Submission Deadline Looms
The deadline to submit a design for the 2018 QST Antenna Design Competition is just ahead — September 1! The competition challenge is to design the be... Read more
App - Mobile
Look4Sat: Radio satellite tracker – APP
Ham radio and weather satellite tracker and passes predictor inspired by Gpredict Main features: – Calculating satellite passes for up to one week (16... Read more
RS-MS1A – Remote Control Android App
Ray Novak and George Thomas show you how to control the ID-51A with the RS-MS1A Android app. Read more
LINX consolidates communication, tracking and safety
The LINX platform consists of the mobile app, dispatch dashboard, and specialized equipment so your team can transmit voice, data, and send emergency... Read more
SmartSDR for iOS v2.6.2 Now Available
FlexRadio Systems announces the release of SmartSDR for iOS v2.6.2 is now available for download or update from the Apple App Store. This App requires... Read more
Repeater Database APP ( IOS and Android ) – Now includes over 35 countries
Repeater Database “RepeaterBook – The Free Repeater Directory for the USA and Canada. Powered by the popular community database of... Read more