Word of the Day: (Elmer): Why Do We Call a Ham Radio Mentor “Elmer?”
Say the word “Elmer” to a non-Ham and two thoughts spring to mind: glue for elementary craft projects and a bald-headed rabbit hunter who has trouble pronouncing his Rs (see […]
An Amateur Radio Blog by DX Engineering Articles written by: OnAllBands
HAM Radio 101
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (Band Map): What is a Band Map?
In contesting, a graphical, real-time display of stations arranged by frequency presented by most popular contest logging software. The map is either populated by telnet/packet spots from clusters and skimmers, […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (Yagi Antenna): What is a Yagi Antenna?
Invented in 1926 by Shintaro Uda and Hidetsugu Yagi of Japan, the Yagi-Uda, most often shortened to “Yagi,” refers to a type of directional antenna with a single driven element […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day: Scheduled or Skeds
In contesting, schedules are advance arrangements to make QSOs with specific stations at specific frequencies and times. Schedules are often made during a contest to try to work additional multipliers […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (CW): What Does CW Stand For?
If you’re new to Ham Radio, you’ve probably asked yourself: Why can’t these people just say what they mean? A lot of the fun of being an Amateur operator is […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (Digital Voice Keyer): What is a Digital Voice Keyer?
Hardware which digitally records one’s voice for CQs, contest exchanges and other frequently spoken information. The recording is played back using keystrokes defined by software (or by pushing a button […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (Cheerleading): What is Cheerleading in HAM Radio?
Everybody loves a cheerleader, right? Not if you’re in the heat of a highly competitive Amateur Radio contest! Cheerleading describes the practice of a station or group of stations actively […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (QRM): What is QRM in Ham Radio?
What is QRM…and why do so many Ham Radio abbreviations start with Q? Let’s answer the latter first. Original Q Codes (45 abbreviations beginning with the letter Q) were developed […]
Events
For Those Who Operate QRP, Four Days in May is a Big QRO Deal
For many QRP enthusiasts, the main Amateur Radio event in May every year isn’t Hamvention®—it’s a much smaller gathering that appropriately celebrates operators who are well accustomed to doing more […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (Band Edge): What is a Band Edge in Amateur Radio?
The band edge generally refers to the lowest (or highest) frequency in the band where one can legally operate within the limits of his/her license. For U.S. operators, for example, […]
