We have several special events and contests about to begin! Canada Day is tomorrow, so the Canada Day Contest will be starting this evening. The 10-10 International Spirit of 76 QSO Party will get underway at 7:00 pm Dallas time this Sunday, and my favorite special event—the 13 Colonies—begins at 8:00 am Dallas time this Sunday.

Don’t forget that our next club meeting is coming up on July 10th. I’ll be presenting on simple alternatives to the portable j-pole for VHF and UHF, including an easy antenna that uses nothing but coax. You’ll are encouraged to bring your own portable, non-j-pole antennas, and they don’t have to be omnidirectional or even dual band.

In ham radio news:

Don’t forget those special events I mentioned up above!

And if you’re on the road or in the air this summer, the latest “The Doctor is In” podcast from the ARRL talks about taking ham radio on vacation.

In news from the world of science:

It’s the year of the bird, and you probably know that many bird watchers keep lists of all the birds they’ve seen. Well, it’s a good time to remember that Thomas Jefferson kept a list, too!

I’m not sure why dust from Africa is spreading into our area; was there a big dust storm? But if you’ve looked out from a tall building or a big hill, you can see that it’s arrived.

Long ago in the dim ages, electric cars were ugly, short-ranged, and kind of stupid. But now they’re setting motorsport records, and hybrids are doing great, too!