Technical Articles

a ham radio paddle keyer
Technical Articles

Choosing a CW Key or Paddle: Understanding What’s Available

Learning Morse code for CW operation has many similarities to learning how to play a musical instrument. Modulating the musician’s maxim about achieving success, “How do you get to the […]

a man holding a portable ham radio antenna outside
Satellite Operation / Technical Articles

Full Duplex: The Key To Satellite Success

Satellite operating is one of the great activities available to Ham Radio operators. With a small amount of gear and a little practice, anybody can get involved in working stations […]

man building a small portable radio antenna
HAM Radio 101 / Technical Articles

Beyond Your Local Repeater: 15 Things to Do with a Technician License

You studied hard and passed the test—congratulations, you’re a Ham Radio operator! With that new Technician license in hand you can now get on the air. But what, exactly, does […]

workers installing an antenna rotator atop a tall radio tower
Products & Product Reviews / Technical Articles

New DX Engineering RT4500HD Heavy-Duty Rotator Undergoes Extensive Testing

On a cool, foggy morning in early October, DX Engineering Operations Manager Cory Gibson, W3CDG, and fellow team members watched as a hard-hatted tower expert ascended near the top of […]

audio noise isolator adapter
Technical Articles

Troubleshooting Hum, Buzz, Crosstalk, and RF Pickup

Hams are typically less precise in their use of technical terms than are professional engineers and technicians. Nowhere is this more true than in descriptions of signals contaminated with unwanted […]

geochron digital atlas screenshot
Technical Articles

Long-Duration HF Contesting Tips: Looking Beyond Your Equipment…Tips on Coming Out on Top

Contests come in a lot of shapes and sizes, from domestic sprints lasting a few hours to weekend-long, 48-hour worldwide DX contests. The difference can be as great as between […]

mirage vhf radio amplifier
Technical Articles

DXing with a Handheld: What You Need to Know

When Hams consider handheld transceivers (HTs), they usually think about short-distance communication. The first type of communication is simplex (direct communication between two radios) that you might use to keep […]

person holding a small handheld ham radio
Technical Articles

Technician Training, Club Fun: The FM Simplex Contest

Technicians comprise about half of the licensed Ham Radio population in the United States. While there’s a lot of stuff you can do in ham radio with a Tech ticket, […]

vintage illustration of a ham radio shack
Technical Articles

The Rise of Digital Modes: The Changing Face of Ham Radio

Change in Amateur Radio operation modes often comes slowly due to the need to change equipment. Two major changes in the history of Amateur Radio that vividly illustrate this include […]

MFJ Voice keyer
Technical Articles

Contesting Equipment Guide: Small Upgrades that Can Make a Big Difference

So you have a station, you’re operating in the contests, and looking to move up the score listings— excellent! But what to do? Is there a BNR (Big New Radio) […]