Word of the Day (GOTA): What Does GOTA Stand For?
GOTA stands for Get On the Air. By setting up a GOTA station during ARRL Field Day, you can give newly licensed Hams as well as curious onlookers the opportunity […]
An Amateur Radio Blog by DX Engineering HAM Radio 101
HAM Radio 101
HAM Radio 101
What is ARRL Field Day?
Who’s ready for Field Day, June 22-23? For the experienced operators at DX Engineering, it’s one of the highlights of the Ham Radio year. The first ARRL Field Day was […]
HAM Radio 101
What is “Long Path” in Ham Radio?
A situation where HF propagation exists between two stations in the inverse direction of the great circle heading. “Beaming long path” means pointing your antenna 180 degrees different from the […]
HAM Radio 101
“ARRL Kids Day” (Word of the Day)
On June 15, young people all over the world will get to experience the magic of Ham Radio during ARRL Kids Day—a biannual event designed to get youth excited about […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day: Pileup
Imagine you are one of many reporters at a White House press conference, all simultaneously trying to get called on by the president. A din of voices fills the air […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day: Politeness–and Why It Matters in Ham Radio
While “politeness” isn’t a word exclusive to Amateur Radio, it’s certainly one worthy of highlighting. It’s important from time to time to remind ourselves that the amateur bands should be […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day: Rag-Chewing
There are several aspects of Ham Radio in which brevity is preferred. If you’re in a heated contest where every contact (QSO) matters and the clock is ticking, you won’t […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day (QSO): What Does QSO Mean?
In our last Word of the Day post, we discussed State QSO Parties—a contest in which operators try to work as many stations as possible in a state or group […]
HAM Radio 101
What is a “State QSO Party?” (Word of the Day)
Pronounced “Q S O party,” a State QSO Party refers to a contest where you try to work as many stations as possible in a specific state or group of […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day: What is a “Receive Antenna?”
Generally refers to an antenna that is used for receive purposes only – e.g., not the same as the transmitting antenna. These include specialized antennas, such as loops, short verticals, […]
