This web page is for information that extends or supports the ARRL Handbook. The section for each edition contains links to software referenced in the book, supplemental information and links, and errata and corrections. 

 

For the downloadble version of the Handbook, installation software will create Desktop shortcuts - they will all have the same ARRL-diamond icon and the names will all begin with "ARRL 2023 Handbook" so it can be hard to tell what each of the shortcuts activates. Holding your cursor over the shortcut will expand the name to the full name.  Or you can rename the shortcuts by right-clicking on the shortcut and selecting Rename.  One suggestion is to use names like "2023Hbk Contents", "2023Hbk Suppl", "2023Hbk SWare", and so forth.

Some readers report that the version of Adobe Reader Touch, provided with Microsoft Apps, does not support all of the PDF features. If this is a problem, download the free Adobe Reader DC from the Adobe website at get.adobe.com/reader which does support the necessary elements, such as bookmarks.  Note that the website for downloads will also download a Google Chrome extension and two McAfee security applications unless you opt out by unchecking the necessary boxes.

 

Information in support of previous editions can be found at
ARRL Handbook - 2011-2022 Editions.

 

Printed-circuit boards for many current and previous Handbook projects are available from FAR Circuits.

Tonne Software

 

Jim Tonne, W4ENE has generously made available a collection of software from his Tonne Software website including the professional-quality filter design software, ELSIE, and the meter face design aid, MeterBasic. You can download this collection as a 28.5 Mbyte ZIP file by clicking HERE. This package includes the following programs:

 

Elsie - LC filter design
MeterBasic - meter face layout designer
SVCFilter - creates designs based on Standard Value Components of the 5% tolerance series
OptLowpass - optimized amateur-band transmitter output filters
Helical - helical resonator bandpass filters in the VHF and UHF range
Pi-EL - impedance matching network designer
Diplexer network designer - for custom diplexer designs
JJSmith - a Smith chart design aid
QuadNet - designs active allpass networks for single-sideband signal generation
ClassE - amplifier design software using Class E topology
Tower - computes feed point impedance at the base of a vertical antenna over ideal ground
Pizza - generates printable azimuth-equidistant or rectangular maps showing the great-circle path and the sunrise-sunset terminator between your location and selectable prefixes, cities or lat/lon coordinates.

 

All programs are self-installing Windows 32-bit software. See the Tonne Software website for questions and instructions for running the software. Newer versions may be available independently on the Tonne Software website.

 

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This section is for software utilities and other programsreferenced in the Handbook or which support the Handbook material and are not included in the main download package.  Check the web page for earlier editions for other software.

Software by Phil Karn, KA9Q

 

The package of software routines by Phil Karn, KA9Q, are available from his GIT repository at www.github.com/ka9q/ka9q-radio. The packages are organized in several compressed tar files and there are packages specifically to support the funcube dongle SDR. He has also created a WWV emulator which is available at www.github.com/ka9q/WWV. The software and associated documentation will be updated by KA9Q as time and other interests permit.

 

 

Chapter 20 - Transmission Lines

 

The concept of impedance matching is explained by Lou Ernst, WA2GKH in a two-part tutorial "Load to Source Matching." The tutorial consists of a text-and-figures presentation that explains the concept and process. The presentation is accompanied by an Excel spreadsheet that allows the student to experiment and observe the effects of matching.

 

Chapter 21 - Antennas

 

Bill Wortman, N6MW has contributed GAMMAMW4 to correct an error in the previous version of GAMMA in which the software failed to find solutions to the calculations when the combination of the desired feed line impedance exceeds the product of the raw antenna resistance and the gamma step-up value. The new code fixes that problem.

 

Click on the program name to download the new program as a zip file, GAMMAMW4. It is a simple text-based application that runs in a command prompt (C:\) window and does not require a full Windows installation procedure. Unzip (extract) the program and double-click it to launch it.

 

To use the program, you will need to know:
- frequency of operation in MHz
- feed point impedance of the antenna's driven element in R + jX form
- feed line characteristic impedance
- the driven element diameter (D)*
- the gamma rod diameter (d)*
- spacing between the outer surfaces of the driven element and the gamma rod (S)*

Enter these values and the program will provide complete outputs including supporting parameters.  * - all dimensions must be in the same units, typically inches or cm.

 

The ARRL extends its thanks to N6WM for his contribution, as well as to Greg Ordy W8WWV for making some tests of the code.

Chapter 2 - Electrical Fundamentals

 

This downloadable Radio Mathematics document includes a discussion of decibels and coordinates, along with a list of online tutorials on a variety of subjects that may be encountered when working with radio circuits and equipment.

 

This Excel spreadsheet by Lou Ernst, WA2GKH, illustrates charging and discharging time constants. The following .pdf provides a brief explanation.

 

Chapter 3 - Radio Fundamentals

 

Lou Ernst, WA2GKH has provided this interesting Excel spreadsheet for experimenting with and comparing waveforms.  Waveforms can be generated automatically or customized, arbitrary waveforms can be entered by the user.

 

Chapter 14 - Transceiver Design Topics

 

The GNU Radio community has developed an extensive set of video tutorials and presentations on GNU Radio in various ways. They are available on the GNU Radio YouTube channel.

 

Chapter 17 - RF Power Amplifiers

 

The book Care and Feeding of Power Tubes has been generously made available courtesy of Communications and Power Industries (cpii.com — Eimac is a division of CPI). The book consists of six PDF sections covering all phases of tube operation and design.

Chapter 1 - Table of Contents and Figure List

Chapter 2 - Introduction and What Is a Power Grid Tube?

Chapter 3 - Electrical Design Considerations

Chapter 4 - Linear Amplifier and Single-Sideband Service

Chapter 5 - Neutralization

Chapter 6 - Operating Conditions for Various Applications

 

Chapter 19 - Propagation

 

19.3.1 MUF Forecasts
For many years, ARRL published charts similar to the Handbook's Figure 19.23 to forecast average propagation for a one-month period over specific paths. These charts are no longer published, but customizable charts are available online from www.voacap.com/hf/. Charts like the one in the figure assumed a single average solar flux value for the entire month and they assume that the geomagnetic field is undisturbed.

Chapter 19

 

19.2.3: Sunspots, Page 19.10 - The y-axis in Figure 19.B representing the "Smoothed sunspot number (V2)" for the Cycle 25 Status graph should instead have the values listed as "0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250."