So far, I’ve yet to make a satellite contact using the FM repeaters available. Seems I’m either not fast enough, the repeater is down, or my equipment isn’t right. There’s always SOMETHING that works against me! EDIT: Finally made a contact on Oct 8, 2020 on SO-50! Sample audio in the article below! So, why […]
How-Tos
How Does the J-Pole Work?
J-Pole antennas are one of the true works of electrical engineering that gives us a smaller footprint vertical with no need for a ground plane. But how do these things work? Here is a great presentation from Dr. Ed Fong WB6IQN explaining. Other articles and information on J-Poles available here: The DBJ-1: A VHF-UHF Dual-Band […]
History of Digital Modes – Dave Casler KE0OG
Really good introduction to the history of amateur radio digital modes by Dave Casler, KE0OG.
Programming the Baofeng HT
Need some quick instruction for your Baofeng UV5R? Here is a quick summary of how to program that HT for simplex and repeater operation. Thanks to K2COE for the information!
Building Superheterodyne Receivers 101 with Chuck Adams, K7QO
Soldering iron calling your name? Here’s an excellent YouTube series from Chuck Adams, K7QO that shows you step-by-step how to construct and test the “Universal HF Receiver Kit” from kitsandparts.com. http://www.kitsandparts.com/receiver.php These videos go through each set of components, showing you how to build the kit in steps, and how to test each step along the way. […]
DMR Radio – Made Me Cross!
I’ve recently bit the bullet, and decided to try out digital radio, more specifically, DMR. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it’s really frustrating and confusing in the beginning, much like those 3D prints they used to sell at the mall back in the 90s. You remember? It’s the ones that you had […]
Learn About Digital Mobile Radio (DMR)
What is Digital Mobile Radio (DMR)? It’s an open digital radio standard that can be used by amateur radio operators to use digital infrastructure such as the Internet to provide communication. Want to know more? Here are some resources to help you along your learning journey! Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_mobile_radio The best podcasts on the subject to […]
Build and Review – Dual Band J-Pole 144/440Mhz
(Tips added at the end of the article below on 10/26/2019) If you’re like me, you like to save some money. One place that I like to save is by constructing my own antennas. When I was looking to set up my base station at home, I looked through all kinds of designs, and ended […]
Those Horrible Toroids!
Here we go… I’m new to kit building, and pretty open to expanding and testing my skills. In looking through stories of others building kits, I became extremely intimidated by the horrible stories of seasoned builders would absolutely never tackle kits including toroids that must be wound by hand. Seemed that kit designers were somehow […]
Soldering Tips and Tricks
Here are a few soldering tips and tricks that I’ve found helpful. Elecraft Soldering Tips (PDF) Elecraft essential tips on soldering stations A nicely illustrated soldering tutorial