Guide to Amateur Radio Frequencies and Bands
Many hams equate frequencies and bands with colloquial usage. Therefore VHF is 2 meters, specifically 144 to 148 MHz, and HF is 160 through 6 meters, just like on our […]
An Amateur Radio Blog by DX Engineering Technical Articles
Technical Articles
Technical Articles / Weatherproofing and Grounding
Copper Strap vs. Copper Braid in Amateur Radio Grounding
Tinned-copper braid has been around for a long, long time. It’s been used in many grounding applications because of its flexibility and ease of soldering. It’s great for grounding radio […]
Technical Articles / Weatherproofing and Grounding
The Importance of Weatherproofing Lightning Protectors
Most amateur radio operators (hams) know they should weatherproof any coaxial cable connections that are outdoors to prevent moisture entering your coax connectors. However, many hams don’t realize you must […]
Technical Articles
Coax Switches: What to Consider When Buying a Coax Switch
“Wow! I just got another transceiver. I’m gonna need a coax switch. I’ll get a used switch off the web.” Bad idea… Used coax (coaxial) switches come in all conditions. […]
Technical Articles
Polarity on BALUNS Explained!
Q: If RF is a high frequency AC signal, why are there plus and minus signs on a balun? A: Keep in mind that we are usually connecting a ‘BALanced’ […]
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles
Tips for Mounting a Vertical Antenna Above Ground
We received a question from a Ham in Oklahoma about mounting a Cushcraft R8. Although our answer was aimed at the Cushcraft R8, the information can be used for other vertical […]
Technical Articles
Why is CW (Continuous Wave) Still Around?
CW stands for Continuous Wave. In CW communications, a continuous carrier is transmitted as long as the key contacts are closed. By making and breaking the contacts into specific patterns, characters […]
Products & Product Reviews / Technical Articles
How to Choose an Antenna Analyzer
This is a question many new (and experienced) amateurs face today. There are many styles and types of antenna analyzers available, and it’s not easy to sort them all out, even for […]
Technical Articles
Tips for Tidying Up Cables
A well-equipped ham shack is chock full of transmitters, receivers, (or at least transceivers), antenna tuners, coaxial switches, radio accessories and all manner of electronic equipment. All of these things […]
Technical Articles
How to Establish the Turning Radius of an Antenna
There is a small bit of homework required to establish the turning radius of an antenna. You have to figure out the hypotenuse of a right triangle. For this exercise we […]
