Articles written by: OnAllBands

ham radio keyer cartoon
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Pileup

Imagine you are one of many reporters at a White House press conference, all simultaneously trying to get called on by the president. A din of voices fills the air […]

an operator at a large home ham radio station
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Politeness–and Why It Matters in Ham Radio

While “politeness” isn’t a word exclusive to Amateur Radio, it’s certainly one worthy of highlighting. It’s important from time to time to remind ourselves that the amateur bands should be […]

a man working at a ham radio station
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Rag-Chewing

There are several aspects of Ham Radio in which brevity is preferred. If you’re in a heated contest where every contact (QSO) matters and the clock is ticking, you won’t […]

ham radio operator at desktop station
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day (QSO): What Does QSO Mean?

In our last Word of the Day post, we discussed State QSO Parties—a contest in which operators try to work as many stations as possible in a state or group […]

State and Regional QSO Parties Book
HAM Radio 101

What is a “State QSO Party?” (Word of the Day)

Pronounced “Q S O party,” a State QSO Party refers to a contest where you try to work as many stations as possible in a specific state or group of […]

dx engineering ham radio loop antenna
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: What is a “Receive Antenna?”

Generally refers to an antenna that is used for receive purposes only – e.g., not the same as the transmitting antenna. These include specialized antennas, such as loops, short verticals, […]

a picture of the planet earth
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Great Circle

The bearing between two points on the globe which minimizes the physical distance is known as a great circle bearing. Thus the great circle bearing for working, say, India from […]

Ham Radio QSL Card from Mount Athos
HAM Radio 101 / Uncategorized

Word of the Day: ATNO

ATNO stands for All Time New One. For DXers, it means making contact with a DXCC entity for the first time—often after years of near misses, poor propagation, and pileups […]

two men at a ham radio station
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: What is a “Pilot Station” in Amateur Radio?

Pilot stations are members of a DXpedition who operate from populated areas and are in regular contact with the DXpedition. Their job is to report on how things are going […]

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HAM Radio 101

HAM Radio 101: Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur

Being a Ham Radio operator comes with big responsibilities. If we are to reap the vast rewards of the hobby we share, adhering to a code of on-air conduct is […]