HAM Radio 101

HAM Radio 101

Ham Radio and WWV/WWVH—a Brief History

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is? If the band Chicago listened to WWV, they could have answered this question from their hit song. Tuning into 10 MHz, or […]

HAM Radio 101

Amateur Radio and Morse Code in Popular Culture…Some of Our Favorite Examples Part 2

Our first article on references to ham radio and Morse code in movies, television, and music received such a good response that we decided to go a second round. Here […]

Volunteer badges for Volunteer Examiner Coordinator System
HAM Radio 101

A Look at the Ham Radio Volunteer Examiner Coordinator System

The FCC created the Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) system to provide initial licensing examinations for prospective hams and upgrade examination opportunities for those already licensed. The VEC organizations oversee the […]

ARRL Ohio Section Logo
HAM Radio 101

How the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is Structured: Ham Radio 101

The ARRL governance structure divides the United States into 15 ARRL Divisions. Every three years, ARRL members in each Division elect a Director and a Vice Director to represent them […]

Woman sitting at a ham radio station
HAM Radio 101

How I Became a Ham

Last year, my husband decided to get into the amateur radio world. He was an electronics technician in the Navy for more than ten years, and he has a master’s […]

Rag Chewers club card
HAM Radio 101

Rag Chewing: A Lost Art

How long are your QSOs? If you’re a contester, they’re likely done in seconds. Operating FT8, your semi-automated QSOs exchange call signs, locations, and signal reports—all in about 90 seconds. […]

PCARS Ham Radio Newsletter
HAM Radio 101

Amateur Radio Newsletters—Practical Advice on Putting One Together for Your Club

Your club newsletter is the introduction of your club to prospective members. Many hams (new and old) will visit a club website to see what the club is like or […]

inside 2003 Dayton Hamvention hara arena event hall
Events / HAM Radio 101

Hamfests—What’s in it for Me?

If you’ve been to one—or several—you already know. If you haven’t, read on. You could be missing a good time! A hamfest is a convention of amateur radio enthusiasts, usually […]

HAM Radio 101

Who Stole My Bands? A Look at Ham Radio and the Capricious Sun.

Forty meters is open. You’re making plenty of QSOs, even snagging a few DX stations. Suddenly, signals begin to fade or even disappear—and they don’t seem to come back. You […]

Worked all parties qso banner
Events / HAM Radio 101

State QSO Parties–Great HF Practice

Once you get your Technician license, the next step is the General. Congratulations, you just earned access to almost every HF frequency amateurs have! (Techs, you have some 10 meter […]