Technical Articles

close up of a swr rf gauge meter
Technical Articles

Get up to Speed on Amateur Radio RF Exposure Rules

Did you know that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now requires all amateur radio stations in the U.S. and possessions to be evaluated for RF exposure? It’s been a little […]

moh-arco-115v_hu_xl rotator controller
Antenna Tech

Doing a Good Turn: Choosing the Right Rotator for Your Amateur Radio Station

A rotator is a handy device used in ham radio communication systems to change the orientation of an antenna. Rotators have two parts, the rotator unit and the controller. The […]

Samlex Solar Portable and Foldable Solar Battery Charging Kit sxa-18161_sn_xl
Technical Articles

Backup Power for Home & Field

Power. It is one of the most important aspects of running an operation. But what if you don’t have access to AC power or a storm knocks out all power […]

two half hitches knot tied around table leg
Technical Articles

Ham Radio Tech: Knots & Slings

Antenna and tower work are never far from our minds as hams. Most amateur loads are considered light by professional installers, but they can be heavy enough to cause injuries […]

field day ham radio station
Field Day

Effective Field Day Operating

Operating at Field Day is lot different than operating a home station—and that’s more than half the fun. It’s also one of the main reasons Field Day exists, so that […]

screengrab of a map displayed on a computer
Field Day

Noise Management on Field Day

Here comes Field Day and all of your careful equipment connections and filtering go out the window as the station is disassembled and hauled off to the operating site. Be […]

portable field day ham radio station on a folding table
Field Day

Field Day: Things You’ll Need & Wished You’d Brought

Every Field Day setup is different, depending on location, number of people, access to trees, number of stations operating, and more. Chances are you’ve participated before and have a basic […]

Technical Articles

Tweaking Your Mobile Installation for Best Performance

Going mobile? Installing a ham radio station in your vehicle expands the usefulness of amateur radio, making automobiles ham shacks on wheels. It’s a convenient way to have instant emergency […]

Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Cobweb, Halo, and Hex: Ham Radio Antennas You Can Bend, Wrap, and Fold

Space, the final frontier for antenna installations. The ham’s ongoing mission: to explore their shrinking lot sizes and seek out smaller antennas that will keep them on the air—ones that […]

Technical Articles

Update to RadioMail—Varanny

I have written about an amazing program called RadioMail in previous articles. This is an application that allows for Winlink mail to be sent and received on an iPhone or […]