"Hush … did you hear that?"Josh froze in silence as he summoned the others in the room to do the same."I heard a truck stop right outside our door" he said in a low conspiratorial tone. They all knew the enemy Radio Direction Finding trucks were patrolling the area looking for allied spies and their … Continue reading Six Weeks to Live
Author: John VA3KOT
I'm a Canadian amateur radio operator based in Owen Sound, Ontario. I hold an Advanced license and I am passionate about two things: operating outdoors and CW. My blog is focused on the experimental aspects of the hobby. I love to try out new ideas and, being retired, I have the luxury of time to spend doing so. Please like, comment and follow if you enjoy what you read here.
A Portable Vertical Antenna
I needed an antenna that would fit entirely within my backpack, along with radio, tuner, coax, battery, headphones and key. In other words, one pack with a complete portable station on my back. In the past I had always carried a second pack with poles, guy lines and tent pegs to support a vertical antenna … Continue reading A Portable Vertical Antenna
What did 18th Century Ontario Lt.Gov. John Graves Simcoe Do for Ham Radio?
John Graves Simcoe was the first Lieutenant Governor General of what was then called Upper Canada (now Ontario) from 1791 to 1796. Among his many achievements was the founding of the City of Toronto. Back in those days the city was called York and was named after the cathedral city with the same name in … Continue reading What did 18th Century Ontario Lt.Gov. John Graves Simcoe Do for Ham Radio?
What did Beethoven do for Ham Radio?
You may not be a classical music fan but you're probably familiar with the opening bar of his 5th symphony: "dididit dah". Let that go around in your head a few times. There, now you know the letter V in Morse Code! Now add the simplest letter of them all, E. It's just a "dit" … Continue reading What did Beethoven do for Ham Radio?
“The Other Half”
I have a real problem with using vertical antennas when operating field portable. And I mean quarter-wave vertical antennas. You see they need "the other half"; a ground plane, radials, or counterpoise and without "the other half" they just aren't going to work. So here's the rub (as Shakespeare would undoubtedly have commented had he … Continue reading “The Other Half”
Build A Better Antenna Winder
Not So Fast Pilgrim!Don't you just hate it when you're out on a field trip and you want to quickly put up a long wire antenna but, when you pull it out of your backpack, the wire is all tangled? Usually happens when you just coil the wire around your fingers or use the old … Continue reading Build A Better Antenna Winder
A Most Unusual Antenna
It’s Common KnowledgeYou have heard it many times before; an HF wire antenna must be installed as high as possible to be efficient – preferably a half-wavelength above ground. It’s common knowledge! “Common knowledge” means everybody believes it to be true – well maybe not everybody, but if the majority believe it to be true … Continue reading A Most Unusual Antenna
How to Find the Height of a Tall Building … using a radio!
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I always knew that one day I would find a way to combine my Bachelor’s degree in Physics with my passion for radio. So I gave some thought to the idea of how to find the height of a tall building using a radio. I came up with four different … Continue reading How to Find the Height of a Tall Building … using a radio!
Ham Radio Outside the Box 