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Current Feature Articles   Nov 17 The Amateur Amateur: Radiomobile   Nov 17 Handy Reference   Nov 14 Surfin': Tying Ham Radio Together with Twine   Nov 07 Surfin': How We Got Here   Nov 03 Amateur Radio Quiz: A Spare Hour's Entertainment   Nov 03 ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up To Lately?   Nov 01 It Seems to Us: The Next Time Could Be Different   Oct 31 The Canaries in the Mine   Oct 31 Surfin': I Phone, Therefore I Ham   Oct 28 North Fulton Amateur Radio League Field Day 2008 -- A Phoenix Rises from the Ashes in Georgia ARRL Products: Technical, Electronics, and Communications Reference (More) The ARRL Antenna Book -- The ultimate reference for Amateur Radio antennas, transmission lines and propagation. Fully-searchable CD-ROM included. 21st edition. ARRL's Low Power Communication -- Now Shipping! -- Build and operate low-power radio gear-the QRP way! 3rd Edition. The ARRL Operating Manual for Radio Amateurs -- Everything for the active ham radio operator! Explore new activities, learn new skills, find new references and more. Basic Radio - Understanding the Key Building Blocks -- FINALLY--an introduction to radio FOR EVERYONE!--what it does and how it does it. The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications -- Now Shipping! -- THE standard in applied electronics and communications.

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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