How much use is a signal report - really? In theory it is a good idea to tell the ham at the other end of the magic, invisible wire how well you are receiving their signal. In practice the report you send is of little to no use whatsoever. Why is that? I can cite … Continue reading Let’s Dump RS(T) Signal Reports!
Tag: CW
QRP On Deck
We had a little light snow today and the temperature was hovering just below freezing, but I wanted to get outside and check out one of my old QRP rigs. The radio of the day was my Hendricks PFR-3. The "PFR" stands for Portable Field Radio. The PFR-3 is (or was; I'm not sure if … Continue reading QRP On Deck
Winter POTA Activations? No Problem!
Southern Ontario had a long, balmy Indian Summer this year. Indian Summer is defined as a warm period following the first frost. It was quite unusual to be able to continue Parks On The Air activations right into mid-November using exactly the same kit I used in the summer. But then winter came suddenly and … Continue reading Winter POTA Activations? No Problem!
How to Turn a 20+ Year Old Yaesu FT-817 into a CW Mean Machine
It was my very first HF radio. A Yaesu FT-817; the original vintage before the ND version was introduced. I was very excited; it was the perfect solution to serve my passion for getting outdoors into the Big Blue Sky Shack to play radio. I had a lot of success. My outdoor antenna was a … Continue reading How to Turn a 20+ Year Old Yaesu FT-817 into a CW Mean Machine
The Dog That Knew Morse Code
When we refer to an amateur radio operator as "SK" we mean they are a Silent Key; they are deceased, gone to join the choir invisible, ceased to be, etc. The term derives from the days when most hams were CW operators. Their telegraph keys were no longer clattering and sending streams of dits and … Continue reading The Dog That Knew Morse Code
What’s in my POTA Backpack?
A recent post by Thomas K4SWL on his QRPer.com blog that I follow inspired me to write about my own portable operations backpack. Thomas' post was entitled A tour and deep-dive of my SOTA/POTA Backpack (Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack EDC). Thomas and I approach our outdoor operations from a different perspective. While Thomas gets involved … Continue reading What’s in my POTA Backpack?
How to Design and Build a Field Expedient End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna for 20m, 40m and 80m
Field expedient antennas differ from home-based, permanent antennas. At a home QTH there is often plenty of room to install a larger, higher antenna. In the home shack, the radio is often capable of putting out a much more powerful signal than a field radio. Out in the field, for example at a campsite, space … Continue reading How to Design and Build a Field Expedient End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna for 20m, 40m and 80m
3 Days, 3 Activations, 2 Parks
It is getting near the end of camping season for 2022. We have one more trip planned for the beginning of October before we winterize the trailer and prepare to hunker down for the long, cold winter. It won't be long before I'll be switching to local park activations in the snow using my radio … Continue reading 3 Days, 3 Activations, 2 Parks
A Thousand Screaming Demons
I guess I must be some kind of masochist. Picture me sitting under the hot Sun, CW paddle strapped to my right knee, logging pad balanced on the other knee, swatting at all the winged, man-eating pestilences that infest every Ontario summer, while sweat pours down my face and drips onto my logging pad. Yes, … Continue reading A Thousand Screaming Demons
DX with 1 Nanowatt?
A nanowatt is one billionth of a watt; yes, one billionth! On that scale a QRP transmitter puts out five billion nanowatts and a standard ham rig puts out 100 billion nanowatts. But is a nanowatt enough to work DX? Yes. But, of course, manufacturers don't make radios that only put out a nanowatt and … Continue reading DX with 1 Nanowatt?
Ham Radio Outside the Box 