Building a Portable Station that Can Also Be Used for Base Operations
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or in ham terms, did you build a base station that you made portable or vice versa? *** Every day I talk […]
An Amateur Radio Blog by DX Engineering Articles written by: Troy Blair, AC80W
Technical Articles
Technical Articles
Ham Radio Portable Operating Insights: Winter POTA Considerations
As we head into the winter months here in Ohio, I would typically put away my “POTA Hat.” I have always said I am a fair-weather POTA operator. I like […]
Antenna Tech
Insights from My Ham Radio Journey: There’s No Fooling Physics When You’re Choosing Antennas
For years I was in search of the “perfect antenna.” I wanted one antenna so I could work the most remote DX as well as nearby county nets. Knowing the […]
HAM Radio 101
How My Wife Became a Ham…and Advice on Getting Others Onboard
Here’s one of the common threads I hear from operators: “I wish my spouse/significant other would operate with me.” In any relationship, it’s natural to want to share our hobbies […]
Technical Articles
The Joy and Satisfaction of Ham Radio Homebrewing
I love sitting around with some seasoned hams listening to them talk about “back in my day.” It truly makes me realize how convenient the hobby is today. In the […]
HAM Radio 101
Ham Radio Shortcuts to Avoid
Everyone has that one uncle. My wife’s family would all gather at her grandparents’ farm in the backwoods of Kentucky a few times a year. It was a four-to-five-hour drive […]
Antenna Tech
Choosing a Ham Radio HF Antenna—DX Commander Signature 18 Nebula Part 2, Installation Day
Troy, AC80W, chronicled his installation of the DX Commander Signature 18 Nebula eXtreme HF Multiband Vertical Antenna. Find part 1 of this series here: “Making the Selection and Prepping for […]
Antenna Tech
Choosing a Ham Radio HF Antenna—DX Commander Signature 18 Nebula Part 1, Making the Selection and Prepping for Installation
As some of you may remember from my previous articles, I have always been a wire antenna kinda guy. In fact, you could say I’ve been the poster child for […]
Technical Articles
DX Engineering Helps Make Portable Operating Fun and Simple
I remember when there were only a few events each year that really allowed hams to go into the field and operate. ARRL Field Day, Winter Field Day, and NVIS […]
Technical Articles
Mobile Installation Pitfalls—3 Tips for Avoiding Common Mistakes When Equipping Your Vehicle with Mobile Ham Radios
I often get compliments on my ham radio mobile install, which I wrote about last month. The compliments are usually a segue into a conversation about amateur radio mobile radio […]
