Recent Posts

DX Engineering tubing deburring tool
Products & Product Reviews

Why Deburring is Essential When Building Antennas

To deburr or not to deburr? Any Ham Radio do-it-yourselfer who has suffered a painful cut while working with machined metal or plastic tubing knows there can only be one […]

a map of the united states
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: WAS (Worked All States)

If you’re fairly new to Ham Radio and want to get involved in long-distance operating (DXing), before you decide to “work the world,” why not try to “work all states” […]

Ham Radio software screenshot
Technical Articles

Guide to Low-Power Contesting (Part 1): Getting Started

Field Day was fun, wasn’t it?  Maybe you’re thinking, “I can do that from home!” And so you can—this discussion is about how to have some success with a modest […]

Word of the Day: Fox Hunting
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Fox Hunting

Fox hunting, also known as transmitter hunting, is a fun and challenging part of Amateur Radio that not only gets you out of the shack, but can help you hone […]

a large ham radio transceiver
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day (Firmware: Firmware–What it Is and Advice on Firmware Upgrades

Computer code that controls a device. The code is generally resident in a chip, and can be updated using whatever communications protocols are set up for this purpose. Many devices […]

small electrical beacon transponder
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Beacon

Fixed, automated transmitters which transmit signals (typically CW) continuously to allow operators to check propagation. These transmitters are located around the globe. On HF they are mostly found on bands […]

dx engineering hexx beam antenna mounted on a chimney
HAM Radio 101

Why Use a Hexagonal Beam Antenna?

Today’s Word of the Day is actually a phrase: Hexagonal Beam Antenna. Yes, they may look a bit out of the ordinary, but these unusually shaped antennas—similar to an inverted […]

dx engineering coaxial cable gripper
Products & Product Reviews

The Right Tools Can Take the Pain Out of Prepping Coaxial Cables

Before precision cable strippers and grippers were available, preparing coaxial cables for installation of connectors could be a dangerous enterprise. Many a Ham’s digits have felt the business end of […]

video still of two men talking
Interviews

Video Interview: Frank Donovan, W3LPL

Frank Donovan (W3LPL) started in ham radio started in 1922. How can that be? Check out this interview with Donovan at Contest University in 2018 to find out how he […]

video still of a man and woman talking
Interviews

Video Interview: Jeri Ellsworth, AI6TK

Jeri Ellsworth turned a passion for electronics into a successful career assembling and selling computers. She gained fame for creating a complete Commodore 64 system on a chip housed within […]