HAM Radio 101

HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Elmer@DXEngineering.com

Today’s Word of the Day is an email address you’re going to want to commit to memory: Elmer@DXEngineering.com. That’s DX Engineering’s new, easy-to-remember email hotline if you want to get […]

a dx engineering NVIS wire antenna kit
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day (NVIS): What Does “NVIS” Stand For?

NVIS stands for Near Vertical Incidence Skywave, an ionospheric operating technique that has been used for decades in military and in-state disaster communications. NVIS antennas can be quickly and easily […]

DX Engineering tubing deburring tool
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Deburring–and Why It’s Important!

Any Ham Radio do-it-yourselfer who has suffered a painful cut while working with machined metal or plastic tubing knows the importance of today’s Word of the Day—Deburring. Taking the time […]

Cycle 24 sunspot cycle graph
HAM Radio 101

The Sunspot Cycle and How it Affects Ham Radio

There are many factors that can affect our enjoyment of Ham Radio. Some annoyances may be only a few feet away, such as an electric lamp or computer causing RF […]

Ham Radio Silent Key artwork
HAM Radio 101

What Does SK Mean in Ham Radio?

In Ham Radio, SK has a dual meaning. When you see it placed after a callsign, SK stands for “silent key,” signifying the operator is deceased. SK is also a […]

a photo collage of young ham radio operators
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: YOTA (Youngsters on the Air)

The world is different from the time many of us got hooked on Ham Radio. Skyping was something we saw on the Jetsons, and our worldwide web existed between the […]

Nasa photo of the Northern Lights
HAM Radio 101

What is “Flutter?” (Word of the Day)

A propagation phenomenon that is characterized by very rapid QSB (fading signal strength), often accompanied by Doppler shift in frequency, which can produce a warbling tone on CW. Signals displaying […]

ham radio antenna rotator
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: What is a “Rotator?”

A rotator—often incorrectly referred to as a “rotor”—is an essential piece of equipment for positioning a directional antenna. Mounted on the antenna mast, the rotator is moved by a controller […]

ham radio operator in a tiny station on Scarborough Reef
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Scarborough Reef

From time to time, our Word of the Day column will focus on an unusual or rare DXCC entity. Scarborough Reef is both. In 1996, Scarborough Reef(Huangyan Island), located in […]

Summit on the Air Ham Radio Certificate award
HAM Radio 101

Summits on the Air (SOTA) Overview

The fun of Ham Radio reaches new heights with Summits on the Air (SOTA), a program that encourages Amateur Radio enthusiasts to operate from atop the world’s hills and peaks. […]