“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 […]
An Amateur Radio Blog by DX Engineering HAM Radio 101
HAM Radio 101
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, […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day: Great Circle
The bearing between two points on the globe which minimizes the physical distance is known as a great circle bearing. Thus the great circle bearing for working, say, India from […]
HAM Radio 101 / Uncategorized
Word of the Day: ATNO
ATNO stands for All Time New One. For DXers, it means making contact with a DXCC entity for the first time—often after years of near misses, poor propagation, and pileups […]
HAM Radio 101
Word of the Day: What is a “Pilot Station” in Amateur Radio?
Pilot stations are members of a DXpedition who operate from populated areas and are in regular contact with the DXpedition. Their job is to report on how things are going […]
