Technical Articles

dipole wire antenna building illustration
Antenna Tech

Ham Radio Tech: Linear Loading—Long Wire in a Short Space

For some amateur radio operators, putting up a full-length HF dipole is not always feasible. With today’s postage-stamp-sized lots, some hams can only dream of installing a dipole for 80 […]

Powerpole connection cutaway view
DC Power

Ham Radio Tech: Anderson Powerpoles®—Putting It All Together

One of the really annoying things about ham radio is the sheer number of different cables and connectors out there. With USB alone, there are four or five common ones, […]

close up of an icom S-meter
Technical Articles

Ham Radio Tech: RST vs. S-Meter Signal Reports—Which Is Better?

Everyone wants to know how their signal sounds on the air. Often, the best way to find out is to get a signal report from other ham radio operators. The […]

ham radio operator working at a field day station
Technical Articles

Tips on Coming Back to Ham Radio After Years of Inactivity

Have you considered returning to ham radio after a number of years off the air? Like many of us, you started out with a license and then life happened—job, family […]

man assembling Anderson powepole connectors
DC Power

Ham Radio Tech: Watch this Easy Way to Install Anderson Powerpoles®

Plus, Powerpoles and Related Products Available at DX Engineering. Enter “Powerpoles” at DXEngineering.com and you’ll get an eyeful—hundreds of ham radio products, from power supplies to DC outlet panels, solar […]

magnet mount antenna on a car trunk
Antenna Tech

Ham Radio Tech: Ground Planes, Gains, and Automobiles—Insights on Mounting Mobile Antennas on Your Vehicle

The best mobile antenna money can buy isn’t any better than the ground plane it is mounted over. Remember the basic dipole—it needs two elements to be complete. Your vertical […]

WG8X Ham Radio Certificate
Technical Articles

Ham Radio Portable Insights: How to Do a “Dual-Park” POTA/WWFF Activation

If you read my previous column about becoming a Parks on the Air® (POTA) activator, then you know I like portable operating. It started with Ohio State Parks On The […]

Ham radio and antenna resting on the roof of a car
Technical Articles

Effortless Activations: My Minimalist Approach to POTA

If POTA (Parks on the Air®) or SOTA (Summits on the Air) is something you’ve been curious about, I would like to show you how simple it is to successfully […]

Par EndFedz Antenna EF-8010
Antenna Tech

Resonant and Non-Resonant Amateur Radio Antennas–Which is Better?

When it comes to ham radio, choosing the right antenna is one of the most important decisions an operator will make. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of varieties: Yagis, […]

inside a small communications station
Technical Articles / Weatherproofing and Grounding

Ham Radio Tech: RF Management & RF Ground Planes

Sooner or later, hams encounter some RF trickery above and beyond the usual connecting together of gadgets and antennas. This usually happens on the HF bands as a home station […]