As always, this issue is jam-packed with up-to-the-minute regular columns, exciting features and some bonus resources and materials.

Our highlights this month include a brand-new column by Keith Rawlings. It is called Aerials Now. This new section will look at those vital aerials across all bands that can make or break your reception. Keith will review new models, introduce you to the basics and explain the – often confusing – terminology in this area.

Continuing RadioUser’s focus on spies, intelligence and radio, H.J. Hagermann has come back in from the Cold to demystify more of the marvels of number stations. Decipher his article carefully and meet agents, handlers, operators and secret services – and such unusual players as Tel Aviv Tina and Magdeburg Annie. You have been warned. 

Once again, we offer two in-depth radio reviews this month, from different ends of the radio hobby scale. First, Andy Thomsett examines the Airspy HF+ SDR Receiver. 

Second – and in a heartfelt tribute to our long-standing contributor Bill Robertson (Chris Lorek) – we include a review of the Uniden UBC370CLT entry-level desktop scanner. Moreover, in his last Scanning Scene for RadioUser, Bill briefly surveys the new Uniden SDS100, Baofeng BF-888S and AOR AR-DV10 scanners.  

Moving on to our regular columns, Tomas Hood reports on how one can actually listen to raw propagation data when they are given shape and audibility in a process called sonification.

Robert Connolly and Chrissy Brand visit some exciting, seasonal, maritime festivals and radio conferences and Robert also offers his second, in-depth, NDB DXing roundup for 2018. Kevin Ryan has digital radio buying advice, Oscar the Engineer dissects the ever-popular talk-radio format and Nils Schiffhauer eats all he can, in terms of software-assisted monitoring, showing you how parallel utility signals decoding works.

As usual, there is much more, and we also have some more bonus material on radio history podcasts and online airband resources. 

Furthermore, the Editor plunges into new depths, reporting on a very special transmission from Grimeton SAQ on 17.2kHz. 

Print copy on sale 24 May 2018, digital edition available to download 17 May 2018.

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