Recent Posts

ham radio operator in a tiny station on Scarborough Reef
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Scarborough Reef

From time to time, our Word of the Day column will focus on an unusual or rare DXCC entity. Scarborough Reef is both. In 1996, Scarborough Reef(Huangyan Island), located in […]

Summit on the Air Ham Radio Certificate award
HAM Radio 101

Summits on the Air (SOTA) Overview

The fun of Ham Radio reaches new heights with Summits on the Air (SOTA), a program that encourages Amateur Radio enthusiasts to operate from atop the world’s hills and peaks. […]

Oj0J Ham Radio QSL Card from Market Reef
Events / Photo Galleries

It’s All in the Cards! Market Reef Celebrates 50 Years

Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about […]

ARRL Amateur Radio Logo
HAM Radio 101

ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Overview

ARRL stands for the American Radio Relay League, the largest membership association of Amateur Radio enthusiasts in the U.S. When you become a member, you’re supporting a non-profit organization that […]

a close up of hairpin matching system on yagi antenna
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Building a Yagi Antenna? Why You Should Consider a Hairpin Matching System

For Yagi antenna do-it-yourselfers, one of the most important and problematic steps in the building process is deciding on the best method of matching the feedpoint of a low-impedance Yagi […]

an elaborate home ham radio shack
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Why Do Hams Call it a “Shack?”

Many of us bought our first computers at Radio Shack in the late 70s, danced to the B-52’s “Love Shack” in the late 80s, and watched Shaq O’Neal dominate opponents […]

a small ham radio, headphones, and laptop
HAM Radio 101

What is a Multiplier, or Mult, in Ham Radio Contesting?

Most, but not all, contests compute the final score as the product of QSO points and a tally of zones, countries, prefixes or other unique characteristics. Since they impact the […]

mobile vertical ham radio antenna and base
Technical Articles

Guide to Choosing the Right Mobile VHF/UHF Antennas and Mounts

You’ve got a mobile radio and separation kit. You’re ready to begin installation. Now comes the most important question—where do I mount the antenna? Sometimes I think it’s a conspiracy […]

AMSAT 50 year anniversary logo
HAM Radio 101

AMSAT Overview (Word of the Day)

Based in Maryland, AMSAT (North America), the Amateur Radio Satellite Corp., is a volunteer organization that is celebrating 50 years of designing, building, launching, and commanding Amateur Radio satellites. It […]

Large parabolic dish antenna
HAM Radio 101

What is “Moonbounce?”

Moonbounce, also known as Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) communication, is a popular technique used by Amateur Radio enthusiasts to communicate over great distances primarily using the 2M, 70cm, and 23cm bands—most commonly […]