Making Math Easy for Ham Radio Experimenters

If you buy all your equipment and spend most of your on-air time simply chatting to friends, then keep calm and carry on; you are doing us all a favor by keeping the bands alive. Some of us, on the other hand have to take a look "under the hood" to learn what is really … Continue reading Making Math Easy for Ham Radio Experimenters →

New Life for a 15 year-old Hendricks PFR-3 QRP Radio

Desperation often leads to innovation, so they say. My order for a QRP-Labs QMX radio is so far down the waiting list that I won't take delivery for several months yet. Why is it that some QRP radio manufacturers have such long waiting lists for their products? It could be that their products are very … Continue reading New Life for a 15 year-old Hendricks PFR-3 QRP Radio →

A Simple DIY “Unikeyer” Based on the K3NG Design

I have two main rigs for operating outdoors, mainly for Parks on the Air (POTA) activations. I dream that one day I will have three, but my order for a QRP Labs QMX is on a never-never delivery list - well maybe one day! Rig number 1 is a Yaesu FT-891 which, although capable of … Continue reading A Simple DIY “Unikeyer” Based on the K3NG Design →

An Upside Down Antenna?

What do you call an end-fed three quarter wave antenna with a quarter wave counterpoise? Or is it an end-fed full wave antenna with a folded quarter wave section? Or maybe even an end-fed half wave fed with ladder line? Here are some hints. It doesn't need any ferrite toroidal cored transformers; so no hysteresis … Continue reading An Upside Down Antenna? →

Is a Compromise Antenna Efficient Enough?

If you read online antenna forums, and maybe watch a few YouTube videos, you may begin to doubt whether you will ever find the perfect antenna. Here is a word to the wise - there is no such thing! But there is an old adage that says something like: "the antenna you put up always … Continue reading Is a Compromise Antenna Efficient Enough? →

An Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Upside Down HF Whip

If the title of this post has you thinking about yellow polka dot bikinis we are probably in the same age range. But today's discussion isn't about ladies' swimwear, its actually about HF antennas. Something has always troubled my mind when I think about very short whip antennas. Take the Elecraft AX1 for example - … Continue reading An Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Upside Down HF Whip →

Using a Municipal Flagpole for an Antenna – Fine Business!

Quite recently our local municipality replaced the weather beaten cedar flagpole at one of our local waterfront parks with a brand new one made of steel. During numerous visits to the park to enjoy the beautiful views of the big islands in Georgian Bay (Griffith Is, White Cloud Is and Hay Is), I have often … Continue reading Using a Municipal Flagpole for an Antenna – Fine Business! →

How to Prep for Radio Camp

What is a "Radio Camp"? Put simply, a Radio Camp is a rapidly deployable temporary setup established for the primary purpose of operating ham radio outdoors. It is not quite the same as a traditional vacation or RV camp. A Radio Camp might be setup for a very short period (e.g. for the duration of … Continue reading How to Prep for Radio Camp →

A Very Versatile Unun for Field Operations

Whenever I venture out into the Big Blue Sky Shack - which is often (even in winter) - my entire station has to fit into a backpack. Radio, Bioenno LFP battery, paddles, headphones, logbook, pencils, lapdesk, antennas, stool and all the other bits and pieces necessary to operate out in the bush. Everything has to … Continue reading A Very Versatile Unun for Field Operations →

Ham Radio – it’s a dirty business

I could have given this post a title such as "How I Became Dependent on Alcohol" but enough of the linguistic deception. Some of my recent experiences with operating in the field have convinced me to spend more time maintaining my equipment. Oh, and yes, alcohol does enter into it. It started back in the … Continue reading Ham Radio – it’s a dirty business →