The AM Forum

A couple of the broadcast rags I subscribe to keep reminding me how many trees I could save trees by subscribing to their digital versions. WorldRadio is now being published on line. They dropped the dead-tree edition. Details on the CQ web site. 

ARRL should consider doing the same with QST. Gradually, it has become pretty much worthless, compared to what it used to be in the 1980's and before.

I subscribe to a monthly computer magazine that was over 1/2" thick when I first started taking it. Now, it's dwindled down to about the thickness of one of the old Dell or DC comic books from the 50's. Last issue was less than 100 pages.

Our local newspaper has thinned way down, too. What's particularly annoying is that the pages have been narrowed down to a strip of paper about 11" wide, but it still retains full length from top to bottom. This makes it extremely cumbersome to turn pages. If they want to save paper and ink as they claim is the reason, I don't see why they don't just change over to a tabloid format.

I wonder how long before paper editions of newspapers and magazines will go the way of VHS tapes, CRT TV's and monitors, analogue TV, and home appliances that last more than 3 to 5 years.

Don:

two years ago I heard on the Q-T from an ARRL official that they were beginning talks about ending paper publication of QST down the road. Not sure what developments may or may not have occurred since that time, but I would  not be surprised that within a few years QST will stop being delivered to your door.

Dan

But what will I read when I'm in the pooper? My laptop keeps sliding off my lap, and it burns my legs............ ;D

Don, what could possibly replace newspapers when training puppies or lining the bird cage?
QST?

They will start selling rolls of blank newsprint stock at the store, along with the rest of the pet supplies.  The cost per ft² will be several times what we now pay for newspaper.

 "" but I would  not be surprised that within a few years QST will stop being delivered to your door.""

That's pretty easy to accomplish, and ya don't have to waite a few years.... ..


klc

Yeah, but it's *blank* newsprint. What's the fun in that?

A college buddy of mine wanted to put a picture of John Denver on the bottom of his parakeet's cage. And a couple of local politicians.

In fact, I believe he did.

Dan said:

Say it aint so..... What am I NOT going to line the inside of my birdcage with??  ???

As long as the online subscriptions do not require some kind of proprietary ad-spewing reader with tele-revocation of rights and files, (take that kindle), and can be saved at hi rez for future reading, at one's liesure, especially while not online and indeed on any other computer for example while traveling. Which means they best be some kind of simple pdf like documents adhering old and rather open pdf3.0 like standards for which there are non-encumbering, non-proprietary, free, compact readers. Then and only then it is equal in value to me taking the magazine or book with me on a trip. I have a habit of not buying things I can't use (never mind the comments about electronic stuff).

QST has some value for me as I read some of the articles and look at some of the ads. I like QEX better. It's much thinner but I do not regret subscribing because it has more interesting projects but I don't have to tell anyone that. Both have their month-long stint in the bathroom next to Electric Radio, and a rotation of august tomes from the personal library. Nothing like a chapter from "Gasdynamic Laser" by S. A. Losev to get things moving when the bean burrito must be evicted and QST is too brief to get 'er done.

What will eventually become of paper volumes? We can hope the dead trees will last, but very few RealBooks(tm) approaching a century old are not slowly beginning to die the second death. Even the old glossy ham rags are starting to make dust after 50 years. I am not sure what process ruins them.

I won't hijack the thread but I'll have my rant about paper materials and then relinquish the electrons.

Never mind the lurid and tawdry rags, the important books are going away, too few are scanned, some are so niche that despite their importance they'll never be reprinted. Some fairly modern examples like Losev's book there are out of print yet locked into copyright virtually forever. Read the review on Amazon and tell me you don't want a copy.

I have a scanner, but I have no guillotine with which to prepare the old books.
Once a book is scanned, and people get it digitally in a free reader format, it will never be lost to decay. This is the reason I scanned those transformer catalogs at 300DPI. And I am thankful to others who have done the same with books, as they are really reprint-quality in many cases.

This said, there are manual-hoarders who should be scanning them. Can you imagine Dennis Starks' collection?

I'm in a moral quandry.. Do I scan and post for free a manual for a military diplexer manual when I know a friend already offers a fine repro for $25 through his surplus business?

Free time is never really free. I have the raw scans from Triad Transformers and permission to post them. (yeah indeed, Triad is very cool.) The online catalogs there, despite the beautiful presentation, can be hard to read as the DPI is low. Thousands of pages to be cropped in those files. I started, but free time is short. I need a program that will autocrop reliably in batch..

rant done..

Well judging by the fact that ARRL continues to send bulletins and code practice via W1AW as if it is the year 1965, I am betting the only way ARRL will quit printing and mailing QST is if they figure out they can't afford it, or they'll save huge bucks by going all electronic (which they will).   I'm betting there are no print ham mags in 10 years, except ARRL will put out some kind of print quarterly for a few LMs who don't own computers. 

Now, for me, that's all FB as long as ELECTRIC RADIO continues on paper  ;D

A boat anchor rag should be done the boat anchor way!!

Rob K5UJ

Many years ago Spencer's offered a product"Send us a picture of your Mother in law and 3.98 and we will send you three rolls of toilet paper with her picture on every sheet".Alas,that to has gone the way that are papers are........Lee

HA!!!!! I get the same thing from my laptop!!!! HOT processing going there.
Soo, we'll have to keep a laptop on stndby in the pooper? I can see it now....A swing around table with the laptop mounted and a wi-fi connection and one of those voltage induction system for power to the swinging tray.
Fred

Maybe one of those virtual reality helmets could swing down on an arm,,,
but then someone would come up vith some other kind of software than Adobe reader 8.0.
 ;) ;) ;D ;D

Foxit Reader loads faster than Adobe Reader, freezes the computer less often, and scrolls faster, more smoothly and less spastically.  Plus it uses a lot fewer computer resources.  I still have AR8 installed in my computer, but rarely use it.

With Foxit, I can open a PDF and scroll through it about as easily as I can a M$ Word document.

No, I was being nasty, and thinking maybe "virtual girlfreind 2.0" or something along those lines...
Totaly inapropriate, I know,,, ;D

I hope publications don't go electronic 100%.  That would suck.  I prefer reading paper when reading for a length of time. 

At work a lot of publications come across my desk that are electronic and rather than staring at the display I print them out. I can take them anywhere I won't be disturbed and they're just easier on the eyes to begin with. 

QST will probably end up in the dumper.  Let it go.  As Don or someone else stated, it isn't the same as it was pre 1980's. One can only take some many PVC antenna do-hickeys.

Palm trees are the best; top loaded and salt water grounded. ;D

Regular deciduous trees around here wouldn't work too well in the winter when the sap goes to the roots. :o
Basically, I tend to use trees as strong wooden masts for very cheap and hard to see wire antennae.

Now I suppose several of us have or could put up vertical wires spaced with insulators away from the tree, say 24 or more every 15 deg. around the tree.  - Your vertical cage with each drop extending outwards at the bottom from the tree for unbroken radials and out some top limbs for a capacity hat if needed.   That way you could run with the clock.  um hmm.

Could this be a harbinger of QST's conversion from dead-tree to electronic distribution?


From the current issue (Vol. 28, No. 37):

==> CHANGES IN STORE FOR THE ARRL LETTER
 
After asking for feedback from ARRL Letter subscribers and reviewing
surveys sent to ARRL members, we are changing the way you receive The
ARRL Letter. Starting in two weeks -- October 1 -- The ARRL Letter will
be available to subscribers in an HTML formatted version. Of course,
those members who do not wish to receive the HTML version can click on a
link to view the Letter on the ARRL Web site. In addition, The ARRL
Letter will be distributed on Thursdays beginning September 24.
 
According to ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, this new format
will allow for more graphics and pictures, as well as occasional
articles that feature the technical side of Amateur Radio. We will also
be running portions of popular QST features, such as "The Doctor Is IN"
and "Hints & Kinks."
 
"I am very excited about presenting The ARRL Letter in a completely new
format," Keane said. "Not only will we be able to add features such as
pictures and video, but by offering the Letter in HTML, readers will be
able to navigate directly to those stories they are most interested in.
The ARRL already offers two other newsletters -- The ARRL Contest Update
and The ARRL ARES E-Letter -- in an HTML version. We have received a lot
of positive feedback on these two newsletters."
 
The ARRL Letter first appeared in 1981 as a print publication, available
by subscription from the League. In 1991 -- following the technology of
the day -- it moved from being a print publication to being published
electronically and sent via e-mail as a free service to ARRL members.
"Now, once again, we at the ARRL are following technology's path and
publishing The ARRL Letter in a new way, moving from plain text to a
graphically pleasing interface," Keane explained.
 
We think you will enjoy this new format, and we welcome your comments.
Tell us what you like -- and don't like -- by sending an e-mail to Keane
<k1sfa@arrl.org>, with "ARRL Letter Feedback" in the subject line.
 

It's about time. Text only newsletters are so 20th Century. By also converting over to html, besides story pictures, color, etc., they can now sell ad space in each week's publication to further increase their revenue stream.
You can go here to view the latest html ARES E-letter weekly publication:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/index.html?issue=2009-09-16

Going to a paperless QST in the near term is probably a real stretch. QST is a very slick publication. It's also a great sales, marketing, and recruitment tool.  Good for show and tell stuff at hamfests and conventions. With QST and CQ Magazine, manufacturers and retailers don't need to develop mailing lists to send out thousands of product brochures periodically to keep their products in the prospective customer's eye. I can't remember the last time I received a MFJ catalog in the mail. This month's QST (October 2009) also has a tear-out brochure for several Yaesu products. Hard to do with a PDF  :P  I suspect advertisers would have to be really convinced that a monthly paperless QST is just as great as a monthly paper version before they spend their advertising dollars. Some major retailers advertise heavy in QST and CQ and have slick web sites, and yet, they still print and distribute yearly or bi-yearly catalogs. I doubt paper products are going to be dead anytime soon.

I've been saving trees and using 100% re-cycled paper and covers for all my products for the last several years. This stuff is so good today you can't tell the difference between re-cycled paper and "virgin" paper.

QST to is no more slick than many major trade rags like Microwave Journal and EDN. These rags have been putting out digital editions for several years. They are no different than the print versions.