Your recent article on malaria ("Malaria prevention," Issue No. 90) has a few errors and omissions that this retired preventive medicine type noted. First, permethrin is more toxic than DEET, not less. It is actually an insecticide (of the pyrethroid class), not just a repellent, with some uses for killing lice. Uncle Sam's Army says never put it on the skin, just on the outer clothing. It does have the advantage that it is still effective after several washings. Also, way back when, we named WR-142,490 "mefloquine," with a terminal "e." On a more serious note, if you are going…

To the editor: I would like to offer a more seaman-like solution than pasting up paper to screen your handsome new offices from the sun (Chartroom Chatter, Issue 119, Jan.⁄Feb. 2002). I had a similar problem several years ago with the morning sun flooding a two-story living room that presented a glass wall to the southeast. Furniture, floor and paintings were fried, and I was determined to find a better solution than turning the entire room beige or blocking the view with a cat's cradle of curtains and drawstrings. So I sunk four stainless steel eyes in the four corners…

The recent article by Gordon Wyatt on antennas ("Homemade antenna," Issue No. 90) was very interesting and practical. However, no mention was made of the fact that a proper grounding or counterpoise system must be included with all HF long-wire or insulated backstay installations. In fact, a proper seawater ground is the key to good performance. As mentioned in the article, the antenna coupler will match the 50-ohm output impedance of the transceiver to the long wire, but only if a ground is attached to the coupler. I have experimented with such antennas for the past 20 years and have…