The AM Forum

   I subscribed to the magazine for many years, but when all the aftershocks of covid kicked in, the publisher ran into problems and ceased publishing hard copies. But now, apparently, they've gotten things straightened out and will be shipping out magazines once again within a few weeks. I just got off the phone with them, and was pleased to find out that my subscription was still effective, since I hadn't received any magazines in years. I always enjoyed the magazine, and I wish them success in their endeavor to return.

That's good news, Bill.

I let my subscription expire a while back but resubscribed a couple of months ago. I'm still waiting for that first hard copy.  In the meantime, I have been receiving digital to keep me from jonesing.

This same story has been retold numerous times on various forums over the last several years.

According to their web site the last hard copy and digital edition was June 2022.
https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/issues

I'm surprised they haven't been taken to court since they are still soliciting subscriptions to this day without any mention of when paper and digital deliverables will start. Just keep the web site looking fresh and pretty.

Personality, I wouldn't send them a dime. It had its "15 minutes of fame" years ago. It's time to "kiss them good-bye".  

It all sort of reminds me of the last two or three years of CQ Magazine's struggle to remain above water to no avail.

   Well, the first time I connected with them via phone, no promises were made; it was basically just, "we're working on it." This time, she says it's for real, with paper coming off the press as we speak. We'll see. In any event, it's a small family business, and I'm happy to support them. They've been sending me the digital issues all along, so there's life there. It's a tough go these days, for print periodicals, so I'll take a small-change gamble on them. If it doesn't happen, well, I'm not losing my shirt, or even a sock. If it does work, I'll be glad to have helped just a little bit.

So, if you have been receiving "a digital edition" is this a digital edition of an entire magazine (a digital copy of a entire print magazine)?  Or is this a digital newsletter?

There is no mention, or at least I can't find it) that, at this time, they are just supplying a digital version. As I said in the first post, according to their web site, the last issue was June 2022.

   It's a digital newsletter, technically, but the issues are impressively complete, with full articles and color pictures. They are really quite good, but I'm somewhat retro when it comes to publications; I'd rather have a real hard-copy in my hands than sit in front of my computer and read off the screen. I'm really hoping that what I heard today is true and I'll start getting Nuts and Volts in a hard-copy once again.
 

So what you're getting, interpreting their "what you get for a subscription"  are "E-newsletters containing evergreen articles from past issues".

I would suspect, many hard copy magazines are probably now on life support, or in some cases, wires and hoses have been disconnected; and it's a wait and see to say good-bye. Obviously, digital magazines are cheaper and easier to get to subscribers plus you can generally add more content without breaking the bank. With a print magazine, you can't add one page. Depending on how it's bound, page content adding generally runs in increments of 4 added pages of content, 8 added pages of content, 12, 16, etc.

   Well, it's all been free since the print issues stopped. I haven't been charged since then, and since there haven't been any print issues, they still owe me four issues (confirmed on the phone today) once/if they start delivering them again.
   What worries me more is that, assuming they really do start publishing again, it might be challenging to get contributors for monthly (bimonthly, actually) content. Electric Radio, from what I understand, changed from monthly to bimonthly for that very reason: not lack of subscribers but rather lack of contributors.

Bill, when I spent time out in the bay area while employed by Hewlett Packard, copies of Nuts and Bolts were available free to folks shopping at electronic stores or surplus outlets.  It was definitely a good read.   I discovered today that the electronic editions of Nuts and Volts from 2004 through 2016 are available as PDF downloads at the internet archive site, free of charge.  

https://archive.org/details/NutsAndVolts/nutsvolts-2014.02/  A panel on the right side lists all the available issues after PDF download is selected from the menu.

After looking at some of the files, I realized there is a wealth of technical information for the DIY and Maker community within most issues.  Seeing this valuable content has prompted me to seriously consider a subscription.  Even if the hardcopy is not mailed to my home, access to the current electronic issues seems to be a worthwhile option.  And software source file access is certainly more practical from an online resource than from the dead tree edition!  Much of this content is of significant value, whether it is recently authored or published a few years ago.

  I also used to pick up copies for free at hamfests, back in the early 80's as I remember. It was a different physical format back then; larger and printed on non-glossy newsprint type paper. I think it was sometime in the early 2000's that they switched to the current glossy format.
  Yes, it's always been a great publication, filled with excellent practical knowledge geared toward the hobbyist rather than the professional, unlike current industry trade publications such as Electronic Design, which I used to get when I was working.
   Subscribing to Nuts and Volts, I learned a lot about PIC Microcontrollers and stepper motors, both of which I later got involved with in workplaces, so it proved to be a valuable resource in both my hobby and work activities.
  Other than more ham-specific publications like QST and QEX (I'm honestly not sure if QEX is even available in print these days; I still read it online) and Electric Radio (which I really enjoy), Nuts and Volts is pretty much the sole survivor among the plethora of electronic hobbyist periodicals available back in the day.

From the 90's through roughly the first 12 years of the 21st century, Nuts and Volts use to have a single space booth inside the Hara arena. Use to pickup a free copy every year. It was always the large glossy paper print style. Don't recall any newsprint editions. Maybe you're thinking of World Radio which was printed on newsprint type paper.

Since they haven't printed a magazine in 3 years, it might be a stretch to say they are "pretty much the sole survivor" since they haven't produced a printed or digital magazine in 3 years. 

Actually, unless I see real proof of a magazine, sending them money for a subscription is like throwing money out a window. Actually throwing money out a window, is easier, faster, and with far less constipation issues waiting for a result or fulfillment.  ;D

Here's a list of amateur radio related magazines which are/were in print and/or in digital.
List is dated May 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amateur_radio_magazines

West Coast checking in as well.  Id pick up Nuts & Volts, newsprint editions, at California Electronics and the ham swap meet in Santee 1st Sat of the month

Definitely was a newsprint style as I recall.

People throw money away on a lot worse, not sure what your ill will is towards the magazine.  I wish them well.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

I worked for Hewlett Packard from 1975 to 2006, then several more years for Agilent Technologies.  During the years from 1987 through 1995, I spent more time in the bay area than at home in Georgia.  With plenty of weekend time to frequent the surplus and specialty suppliers, I recall picking up the newsprint version of Nuts and Volts at Quement Electronics, I think they were on Bascom Ave in San Jose, also at Bill Godbout Electronics at his Quonset Hut at Oakland airport, and at Jameco Electronics just off route 101 in Hawthorne, CA.  The number of surplus houses up and down the bay area from Palo Alto to San Jose were too numerous to count, but all of them had N&V newsprint version, gratis.  I never saw a bound or magazine version while I was in CA, but I can confirm Shane's recollections about the newsprint are accurate.

   Somewhere, up in my attic, I think, I've got a couple of the old newsprint issues, saved for posterity (because I'm an inveterate pack rat, in other words). Next time I'm up there, I'll dig one out. Those older issues, as I recall, were largely filled with advertising content; much of it from the big surplus outfits.

Spent a lot of money at Quement.  Dick Smith Electronics as well.

Did you by chance know an Elmer Hawkins at HP.  Smaller, diminutive man, I believe he worked for Mr Hewlette or Mr Packard directly. 

The bay area was cool for surplus stores but San Diego always seemed better.   Way more military surplus vs what I found in the Bay Area.   Im sure that's just because of Rambo, etc Movies and being a dumb kid.

I last bought something from Jameco about a year ago.  Adapters for a radio.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

Shane, I never met Mr. Hawkins, but I had several visits with Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard while working in Palo Alto.  Dave still very much enjoyed chatting about ham radio and his early adventures when he was much younger.   Both Bill and Dave visited the HP folks in Atlanta for HP's 50th anniversary celebration in 1989.

While in the bay area, I was more interested in recent digital components than military, and there were so many surplus outlets with boards, socketed memory and other support chips, iI was like a kid in a candy store.

I also had the wonderful opportunity for several visits with Bill Orr, W6SAI.  In addition to his expertise in RF power devices, he was an avid audiophile.  He and I talked endlessly about the various tube amplifier circuits; his home stereo employed a quad of Eimac 4-125s in the ultralinear circuit with Acrosound iron.  His construction quality was impeccable.  Lots of good memories from long ago with great people!