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 […]
An Amateur Radio Blog by DX Engineering HAM Radio 101
Events / HAM Radio 101
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 […]
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 […]
HAM Radio 101
Test Your Morse Code Knowledge
Morse code, or Continuous Wave (CW), remains as popular as ever in the ham radio community, though it’s no longer required to obtain a license. Regardless of this, many hams […]
HAM Radio 101
Amateur Radio and Morse Code in Popular Culture…Some of Our Favorite Examples
It’s always a surprise when ham radio appears in popular entertainment. It’s even more surprising when the details are not mishandled or misrepresented. Just for fun, OnAllBands compiled a few […]
HAM Radio 101
CW Activating 101: Managing Partial Calls
I recently received a question from Richard, who asked: “Is it rude to always [add] a ‘?’ with a partial call? And how do you do partials with everyone jumping […]
HAM Radio 101
Hams You Should Know: Jean Shepherd, K2ORS, SK: Cowriter/Narrator of A Christmas Story
If you’ve ever lusted after a leg lamp or shouted, “You’ll shoot your eye out” to a bb-gun clad kid on Christmas morning, odds are you’re already familiar with ham […]
Field Day / HAM Radio 101 / Technical Articles
Ham Radio 101: ARRL Field Day—The Importance of the Exercise
What is Field Day? It is an event where hams in the United States and Canada attempt to contact as many stations as possible on the 160-, 80-, 40-, 20-,15- […]
HAM Radio 101
Five Tips for Successful Field Day Public Relations (and Extra Points)!
Field Day is many things: a contest, emergency communications exercise, club social event, and a way to raise public awareness of ham radio. Regardless of which aspect you embrace, you […]
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 […]
