Technical Articles

reporter interviewing ham radio operators during field day
Events / Field Day

ARRL Field Day–How to Earn Bonus Points

In previous articles we’ve discussed the point of the exercise as well as the basic rules. This post is about my favorite topic…Bonus Points! I belong to an amateur radio […]

JPC Vertical antenna kit
Field Day / Technical Articles

Preparing for ARRL Field Day 2023 (Part 3): NVIS Antennas, OCF Antenna Kits, 6M Action, and More

Antennas are such a critical part of Field Day (June 24-25) that we’re devoting another part of this series to highlighting some of the best options available at DXEngineering.com. Since […]

field day ham radio station
Field Day / Technical Articles

ARRL Field Day 2023: Basic Rules

For many amateur radio clubs, Field Day is the biggest event on their calendar. Many hams who don’t participate in contesting or DXing throughout the year find themselves excited to […]

Ham radio Field Day Table Setup
Field Day / HAM Radio 101 / Technical Articles

Ham Radio 101: ARRL Field Day—The Importance of the Exercise

What is Field Day? It is an event where hams in the United States and Canada attempt to contact as many stations as possible on the 160-, 80-, 40-, 20-,15- […]

close up of a dx engineering connector on coaxial cable
Field Day / Technical Articles

Preparing for ARRL Field Day 2023 (Part 1): How Are Your Coaxial Cables Looking These Days?

Could there be anything about ham radio less exciting than a coaxial cable? If your heart skips a beat and your eyes widen at the sight of the latest SDR […]

outdoor portable ham radio station
Technical Articles

Working Through and Managing Pileups During Park and Summit Activations

Park and summit activating has grown in popularity over the past few years. Indeed, it’s to the point that pileups are not at all uncommon. Here in the U.S., I […]

hustler radials on an antenna system
Technical Articles

Getting the Most from Portable HF Antenna Systems

Portable operating—in parks, on islands, atop summits—has become delightfully popular over the past few years. It’s not hard to figure out why, either. You get to combine visiting new places, […]

Yaesu FT-991 ham radio transceiver, front
Technical Articles

Five Mistakes New Ham Operators Make (Bonus Article, Part 6): Searching for the Magic Bullet

Our society seems obsessed with the “all-in-one” concept. Last Father’s Day we purchased a pen that had 22 functions. I have a jump box in my Jeep with nine functions. […]

a ham radio antenna set up on an outdoor tripod
Technical Articles

Ham Radio Emergency Preparedness: Winter Field Day

Winter Field Day (WFD) is a communications exercise loosely modelled after ARRL Field Day. It is held the last full weekend in January. This may not be too bad for […]

Battery powered soldering iron
Technical Articles

Ham Radio 101: Soldering Tips

Learning how to solder using proper techniques is a fundamental skill every ham should master. Whether you’re attaching connectors to a coaxial cable or constructing a balun, knowing how to […]