Category: Miscellaneous topics

CLEFHW antenna: Ready for Action

In the last post I introduced a crazy, off-the-wall idea for a variation of the popular End-Fed Half-Wave (EFHW) antenna. I called it the CLEFHW - Coil Loaded End-Fed Half-Wave. Its purpose is to allow backpack portable operation of an electrical half wavelength antenna without the need for a tree or pole to suspend a … Continue reading CLEFHW antenna: Ready for Action →

The Weather Outside is Frightful – Time to POTA on?

Winter came suddenly to southern Ontario this year - and it hit hard. The Town of Gravenhurst, at the southern end of the popular summer destination of Muskoka was whacked with more than three feet of snow in a single storm. We manage winter very well in this part of the world, but that sudden … Continue reading The Weather Outside is Frightful – Time to POTA on? →

The QMX is Full of Holes, Here’s the Essential Fix!

When the design team at QRP Labs (alright, we know that means just Hans) set out to produce a multiband portable transceiver that would be packed with advanced features and could be sold for as little as a meager purse of groats, what was their primary design objective? You can bet your life it was … Continue reading The QMX is Full of Holes, Here’s the Essential Fix! →

Op-Ed: Does Making It Easier to Get Licensed Really Grow Our Hobby?

Many, many years ago ... You have probably seen the statement: "ham radio is dying". Is it really dying or just changing? I am a "baby boomer"; I was introduced to the hobby by my grandfather who presented me with a crystal set when I was 9 years old. I spent many, many years as … Continue reading Op-Ed: Does Making It Easier to Get Licensed Really Grow Our Hobby? →

Antenna Height Matters – True or False?

How often have you read that an antenna should be placed as high as possible - the higher the better? Is it true? My inner skeptic says "hmm, maybe". It's certainly an aphorism that is open to scrutiny. Aphorism? The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language defines "aphorism" as: "a tersely phrased statement of … Continue reading Antenna Height Matters – True or False? →

Rebuilding the Winter Rybakov Antenna

Almost a year ago I wrote a post entitled "A Simpler Field Expedient Rybakov Antenna for Winter". It is worthwhile to read that post to understand why I felt it necessary to make a winter version of a proven, tried and trusted antenna. My home turf is southern Ontario, Canada about 200km northwest of Toronto. … Continue reading Rebuilding the Winter Rybakov Antenna →

Can a Drinking Straw Help Tune an Antenna?

A stainless steel drinking straw DIY QRP L-match. We'll get back to the drinking straw question in a moment, but first let me describe another new project that took shape on the Ham Radio Outside the Box workbench recently - a QRP L-match. You may recall that we recently described a Z-match builder project that … Continue reading Can a Drinking Straw Help Tune an Antenna? →

A Deep Dive into the Antenna Called “Long Tall Sally”

Back in the spring of 2024 Ham Radio Outside the Box introduced a very unusual field expedient portable antenna for 20m. It was dubbed "Long Tall Sally" because we took a standard quarter wave ground plane, stretched the vertical radiating element way out of resonance, then restored resonance by shortening the radials. This is what … Continue reading A Deep Dive into the Antenna Called “Long Tall Sally” →

“Old Barebones” – A QRP Z-match Builder Project

I actually don't like Z-matches very much, so why did I build one? I'll get to that in a moment, but first I should explain why I am not a fan of the Z-match. These devices comprise two variable capacitors and one fixed inductor. The fixed inductor limits the tuning range compared to other types … Continue reading “Old Barebones” – A QRP Z-match Builder Project →