Technical Articles

man working at a ham radio portable field day station
Technical Articles

Building a Field Expedient Amateur Radio Kit

Editor’s Note: Troy Blair, KE8DRR, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, enjoys sharing personal stories about his involvement in amateur radio so others can learn from his experiences in the true spirit […]

close up of a slotted end of aluminum tubing
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

How to Build Aluminum Antennas

Next to wires, antennas made of aluminum tubing and rod are the most common type of amateur radio antenna construction. There is a wide range of high-quality aluminum alloy available, […]

rigcat software screen shot
Technical Articles

Ham Radio Software for Mac and Apple Users

For better or for worse, I am an all-Mac and Apple user. I could write articles for days arguing the benefits and, yes, downfalls of that choice, but I’ll stick […]

Yaesu FT-991 ham radio transceiver, front
Technical Articles

Transitioning to HF Portable Ham Radio Operations

Editor’s Note: Troy Blair, KE8DRR, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, enjoys sharing personal stories about his involvement in amateur radio so others can learn from his experiences in the true […]

DARA Dayton Amateur Radio mobile operating truck
EMCOMM

EMCOMM in Action: Providing Communications Support for the Pan Ohio Hope Ride

The Pan Ohio Hope Ride (POHR) is a noncompetitive one–, two–, or four-day cycling event that supports the American Cancer Society. Either as an individual or part of a team, […]

Technical Articles

Family-Friendly GMRS Radios

The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) today is what CB radio was originally intended to be–a group of frequencies shared by individuals who maintained a civil environment on the air, […]

ham radio beverage antenna install guide illustration
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

An Overview of Beverage Receiving Antennas–What Makes Them So Special?

(Thanks to the ARRL for sharing Figures 1-3 from the article “The Beverage Antenna, 100 Years Later” in the November 2021 issue of QST—see the reference list below.) There is […]

FT8 Activity from Clublog screen shot
FT8

FT8: Saving or Destroying Ham Radio?

Let me start by saying that this is an OPINION PIECE. Everybody has an opinion. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. I try to explore all sides, but […]

Beverage On Ground BOG diagram
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

BOGged Down: Receive Antennas on the Ground

Many hams I know who are serious 160 and 80 meter operators use Beverage antennas to optimize HF reception. These antennas often make the difference in pulling a weak signal […]

ICS Organizational Diagram
EMCOMM / Technical Articles

EMCOMM: Operating Procedures and Tactical Callsigns

Operating Procedures The following suggestions are intended to help you become a better operator whether participating in a ham radio contest or public service event. The first thing to remember […]