Articles written by: Troy Blair, AC80W

collage of ham radio portable POTA equipment
Product Reviews

DX Engineering Introduces Complete POTA/EMCOMM Kits

When starting something new, like Parks on the Air (POTA), one of the first hurdles to get over is assembling the right equipment. Let’s face it, it’s easy to fall […]

DX Engineering wire antenna winder on table
Products & Product Reviews

New Ham Radio Product Review: Assembling and Testing the DX Engineering Dipole Winder Kit

So simple, it just works…and it’s a fun way to teach basic soldering, antenna-building, and antenna theory to new hams. I used to love going to visit my great-grandmother. She […]

Yaesu FT-991 ham radio transceiver, front
Technical Articles

Five Mistakes New Ham Operators Make (Bonus Article, Part 6): Searching for the Magic Bullet

Our society seems obsessed with the “all-in-one” concept. Last Father’s Day we purchased a pen that had 22 functions. I have a jump box in my Jeep with nine functions. […]

HAM Radio 101

Five Mistakes New Hams Make (Part 5): Not Immersing Yourself in the Culture

I have been very blessed to do medical mission work throughout Central America since I was 13 years old. After the first week of my first trip, I was having […]

HAM Radio 101

Five Mistakes I Made as a New Ham (Part 4): Having Unrealistic Expectations of My Abilities and Gear

I have always been the guy with big dreams and high hopes. Because of this, I also have high expectations. This is true of anything I have been involved in, […]

HAM Radio 101

Five Mistakes I Made as a New Ham (Part 3): Skimping on Quality Equipment

There is an old tale that states the origin of stranded copper wire resulted from two hams fighting over a penny found on the ground at a hamfest. I totally […]

HAM Radio 101

Five Mistakes I Made as a New Ham, Part 2: Having a Lack of Focus

Editor’s Note: Troy Blair, KE8DRR, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, enjoys sharing personal stories about his involvement in amateur radio so others can learn from his experiences in the true spirit […]

HAM Radio 101

Five Mistakes I Made as a New Ham, Part 1: Going it Alone

Editor’s Note: Troy Blair, KE8DRR, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, enjoys sharing personal stories about his involvement in amateur radio so others can learn from his experiences in the true spirit […]

mobile ham radio backpack kit
Technical Articles

QRP Operation: How Low Can You Go?

This game could go on forever. In my previous articles I talked about portable operations. We looked at things like Field Day, International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, Parks on the […]

man operating a field day ham radio station at a lighthouse
Events

Operating from a Lighthouse on International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, August 2022

Editor’s Note: Troy Blair, KE8DRR, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, enjoys sharing personal stories about his involvement in amateur radio so others can learn from his experiences in the true spirit […]