Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes
Reviews Home

Reviews For: QST Magazine

Category: Amateur Radio Periodicals

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : QST Magazine
Reviews: 267MSRP: 34
Description:
Subscription comes with membership to the American Radio Relay League
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.arrl.org
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
002673.8
K3TN Rating: 2020-08-25
Only ham subscription that comes with a boatload of services. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
QST has an enjoyable mix of articles that cover wide ranges of aspects of the hobby. What I pay gets me much more than just the magazine - a very unique value of QST - but the quality of the articles and the consistency of production and delivery alone make it worth the subscription price.
K6CRC Rating: 2020-08-24
Reflection of the hobby Time Owned: more than 12 months.
ARRL, like every other hobby organization is having its challenges. QST has gotten lighter and lighter on content, and the ads are about the same as they were 5 years ago, updated only for the few new rigs. I believe it has value, and ARRL should go to 4 or 6 a year to save money and improve content. Retirement of key contributors will no doubt affect things, and I hope they can back fill. I would support the frequency change with no adjustment in dues, as it is the cost we have to keep the hobby going.


=============
QST is a good magazine. I have learned from the columns and have build a few things over the years. I read maybe 20% of any one issue; that is fine. Yes, you can go back 10 years and see many of the same ads.. But, QST is lucky to have ANY ad support, as the magazine industry tanks. Look at all the ham mags that have died. Heck, look at ANY hobby and how the mags are dead.

The venting about QST is really just venting about how the hobby has evolved. All hobbies are in trouble now. It is the evolution of out society. Like the weather, not much we can do.
K1VSK Rating: 2020-08-24
An ad magazine with some radio articles Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Nothing but ads for the first 30 pages. More than 1/3 of magazine comprised of advertising - far greater than most. Incrementally smaller content over the years. Far more expensive than comparable hobby magazines.
W2DDG Rating: 2020-08-24
It's Fine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It's a good read. About the same now as through the years. As for the advertisements, they have always been there. I have issues from all decades back to the teens. I also prefer print to take along with me while waiting for car inspections. etc. Digital just doesn't do it for me.
N7WY Rating: 2020-08-23
Read only a few pages Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The digital version allows me to page to the TOC and then click to the pages I want to read. I no longer page thru all the ads. The recent change that provides access to QEX with. O subscription fee is a plus.
K5XS Rating: 2020-08-23
One of the few pubs I read cover to cover every month Time Owned: more than 12 months.
If people judge the value of ARRL membership dues based entirely on what's on the pages of QST, I think they're missing the point. Receiving QST is a membership benefit, but for a lot of us, ARRL membership is important for other reasons as well.

That said, I very much enjoy reading QST. The articles are interesting to me, and I very much enjoy keeping up with the latest in amateur radio equipment by scanning the ads. (And when I buy stuff I've seen in QST ads, I let the advertisers know I saw their ad in QST and that I appreciate their supporting the League and its mission.)

I think it must be challenging to manage the editorial content. I can't imagine trying to write appealing articles for newcomers while at the same time providing material that resonates with old timers and people with rich technical backgrounds. But I think QST reaches that balance pretty well.

I'm glad the ARRL exists, and in my view amateur radio would soon cease to exist without it. And as QST is its flagship publication (and a revenue generator), I am thankful for it as well.
W2WO Rating: 2020-08-23
Blindingly short focus thinking Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Perhaps all the scientists looking for a Covid cure might stumble upon a cure for stupidity. It is certainly needed. I cling to the hope that most hams have at least average intelligence, but perhaps it is time to relinquish that hope. I will not rehash all the reasons we need the ARRL, even if it is not perfect and maybe a bit bloated. If some other hams can create a better organization, get it up and running, demonstrate the effectiveness of the interfaces with the FCC and ITU, create a better publication, etc, etc, then I would certainly consider joining.

If you do not like QST articles, then write one yourself. If you do not understand the economics of publishing a magazine, then do just a little bit of research before complaining.

For myself, I like the advertising and I wish there was more of it -- which would indicate an increasing interest in ham-related products. Unfortunately, this is not likely to happen. I would like to see more technical detail in the major ads -- IIRC, this was tried by one or two of the manufacturers a few times but was not continued probably for economic reasons. Even preparing quality ad material, ready for publication mastering, costs more than a few dollars.
KB7TT Rating: 2020-08-22
What a waste of time/money! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
WIth 90% of the content advertisements you can see that there is very little in the 100 or so pages of useless dribble the ARRL puts out every month. Not much of interest after you go thru the ads... I will not renew my membership and subscription this year, Good part is that it takes only 10-15 minutes to page thru the magazine each month. What a shame!
KC8HXO Rating: 2020-06-27
Old news..... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have taken it for years, with a few breaks. Honestly, any article on a rig, or “new” product is severely outdated by the time it hits your inbox/mailbox. That’s no ones fault. It’s called technology. Might be time to stick a fork in it, it’s done. The good technology articles are better disseminated on this thing called the internet. In less than 10 years, virtually ALL print media will be gone. My 2 pence.
KA5ROW Rating: 2018-01-26
Too many advertisements not so Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I like the many advertisements:

The magazine has always had a few pages at the beginning, and maybe 20+ at the end. every thing in be tween is just good story's and how to do stuff. things of interest.