Recent Posts

ham radio keyer cartoon
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Pileup

Imagine you are one of many reporters at a White House press conference, all simultaneously trying to get called on by the president. A din of voices fills the air […]

an operator at a large home ham radio station
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Politeness–and Why It Matters in Ham Radio

While “politeness” isn’t a word exclusive to Amateur Radio, it’s certainly one worthy of highlighting. It’s important from time to time to remind ourselves that the amateur bands should be […]

a woman outdoors with potable ham radio antenna
Satellite Operation / Technical Articles

Satellite Basics (Part 2): Making QSOs via Satellite

In my first blog covering Ham Radio satellite basics, we went over the mechanics and logistics of hearing amateur satellite passes. In this blog, we’ll take you to the next […]

a man working at a ham radio station
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Rag-Chewing

There are several aspects of Ham Radio in which brevity is preferred. If you’re in a heated contest where every contact (QSO) matters and the clock is ticking, you won’t […]

PJ6A Ham Radio QSL Card from Saba
Events / Photo Galleries

It’s All in the Cards! A Look at Saba and St. Eustatius QSL Cards

Editor’s Note: Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with […]

ham radio operator at desktop station
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day (QSO): What Does QSO Mean?

In our last Word of the Day post, we discussed State QSO Parties—a contest in which operators try to work as many stations as possible in a state or group […]

State and Regional QSO Parties Book
HAM Radio 101

What is a “State QSO Party?” (Word of the Day)

Pronounced “Q S O party,” a State QSO Party refers to a contest where you try to work as many stations as possible in a specific state or group of […]

ARRL Field Day 2019 Logo
Technical Articles

Field Day Tips: How to Fine-Tune Your EMCOMM Skills During Field Day

Since the 1930s, Field Day has been an event to test the field preparedness and emergency communications (EMCOMM) abilities of the Amateur Radio community. Over the years, it has turned […]

dx engineering ham radio loop antenna
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: What is a “Receive Antenna?”

Generally refers to an antenna that is used for receive purposes only – e.g., not the same as the transmitting antenna. These include specialized antennas, such as loops, short verticals, […]

a picture of the planet earth
HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day: Great Circle

The bearing between two points on the globe which minimizes the physical distance is known as a great circle bearing. Thus the great circle bearing for working, say, India from […]